The One That Got Away
by Inuyashagrl101
Summary: "What the hell are you doing!" I demanded as a man dives into the passenger's seat. "Drive!" he yelled back at me, his eyes wild. "What-" "Just Drive!" he repeats frantically. I slam on the gas and speed down the road with some psycho next to me. SasuXOC
1. Chapter 1: Chance Encounter

**A/N:** I Know It's Been A Long Time Since I've Written Anything (I Just Haven't Been In The Writing Mood) But, I've Been Reading A Lot Lately And It's Inspired Me (Like It Usually Does) To Write a New Story. Although I Said That My Pairings Don't Usually Change Much, I Thought Instead Of A SasukeXSakura Story Again, I'd Do A SasukeXOC Story This Time. I Really Hope You Like It And Please Review!

The One That Got Away, Chapter 1: Chance Encounter

I tap my red-painted nails impatiently on the steering wheel of my 95 Cavalier as I stare up at the red traffic light in front of me. I hate working Saturday nights for this exact reason; it takes _forever _to work my way back home. I look out the passenger's side window at the hoard of party-goers and bar-hoppers that are scouring the streets like locusts, every girl I see scantily dressed and stumbling their way to the next location of the night. Among the swarm of tipsy girls and desperate guys, I see a man shoving through them and rapidly approaching the side of my car. _No, _I say to myself as I watch him run toward the passenger's side. _He can't actually-_

I get cut off by the sound on the door being flung open and a man diving into the seat next to me. "What the _hell_ are you doing?" I demand, my voice jumping a few octaves in panic and pure shock.

"Drive!" he yelled back at me, his eyes wild. I notice that he keeps glancing out the window as if he's waiting for someone.

"What-"

"Just _drive_!" he urged frantically. His entire frame stiffened as a second man emerged from the crowd and started toward us. This man looked even more intimidating than the one that just dove into my car. His shoulders squared, his jaw locked, his fists balled at his sides; he looked like he's ready to rip both of us apart with his bare hands.

I looked up at the traffic light just in time to see it turn green and slam on the gas, burning rubber down the highway with some psycho in the seat next to me. I stared straight ahead, my eyes fixed on the road in front of me and my hands so tight around the wheel that my knuckles turn bone white. We're both silent for what feels like an eternity until I realize something; I have no idea where I'm supposed to be taking him. "Um, where am I taking you?" I asked nervously, almost afraid to look at him.

He hesitated for a brief second. "Wherever you're going,"

"You _can't _come home with me," I chuckle without humor. "You jump into my car without warning and expect me to house you? You could be a serial killer for all I know-"

"I'm not a serial killer," he interrupted me, an amused grin creeping across his face.

"Drug dealer, whatever," I correct myself. The annoyance was already beginning to bubble in the pit of my stomach at his mocking tone; I don't even know this guy and he's already getting on my nerves. "I don't care what you are, you're not staying at my house!"

"What makes you so sure I'm a criminal?" he raised a brow at me.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe because you were running away from a burly man who looked like he was ready to rip your head off?" I retort sharply. "That doesn't generally happen to non-criminals."

"Relax, Miss Priss," he snorts. I could practically hear his eyes roll in his head. "I'm not a drug dealer, either. I just got into a little altercation, that's all."

"I still have no idea who you are," I remind him. "I don't let strangers crash on my couch."

"Look, I'm not going to slit your throat in your sleep and I'm not going to stash heroin in your medicine cabinet so isn't that enough for one night at your place?" he bargained, the sexy persuasiveness of his voice taking me by surprise.

I purse my lips, silently cursing him for coaxing me into even _thinking_ about letting him stay, even if it just for one night. I flip my auburn locks over my shoulder and sigh heavily. "Just for tonight, but on one condition,"

I smile at the frown in his tone. "And what's that?"

"You have to answer any and all questions I have,"

"You have _got _to be kidding," he groaned as he leaned his head back on the seat.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" I challenge boldly, fully prepared to abandon him on the side of the road. "You owe it to me after helping yourself to my car _and _my house."

Now it's his turn to purse his lips. "Whatever," he muttered sourly.

I smile brightly at my small victory the rest of the ride. "Here we are," I announced as we pulled into the driveway of a townhouse. I look at him for the first time - _really _look at him - and realize how good-looking he actually is, despite the intimidating scowl that's plastered on his face. Thick blue-black hair graces his scalp and is just messy enough to make him look rugged without looking like he just rolled out of bed. His icy pale skin contradicted his hair and battled for attention against the raven mane, the lightness of his skin almost transparent. Placed just under the shadow of his bangs were two onyx irises the same black as his hair, making him seem even more menacing than his perpetual scowl.

"We getting out?" he asked, staring at me like I just sprouted another head.

"Oh," I gasped. My skin instantly flushed a bright shade of scarlet as I quickly got out of the car. "Sorry, I'm a little spacey."

"Yeah," he dragged out the word as he climbed out as well. I gaped up at him towering over me; I knew I was short but this guy's _massive_. "Can we go in?"

I shook my head and fumbled around in my purse for the house key, unbelievably embarrassed that I'd been caught gawking _twice._ "Got it," I said triumphantly, leading him to the door. "Before we go in," I begin, whirling around to face him. "First question, what's your name?"

"Sasuke," he sighed, seemingly tired of my questions after the first one.

"Sayuri," I reply. I'm almost surprised he replied to quickly; I was sure I'd have to coax it out of him. "Alright, Sasuke, make yourself at home."


	2. Chapter 2: Like a Brother

**A/N:** Alright, First I Wanna Say Thanks To Everyone Who Reviewed/Alerted/Favorited The First Chapter. I Wasn't Expecting To Get Anything Until I Put A Few More Chapters Up And It Really Surprised Me. Second, In This Chapter I Made Sasuke Slightly OOC But I Did It On Purpose So Please Don't Rip My Head Off For Making Him A Little Different. Anyway, Thanks And Here's Chapter 2!

The One That Got Away, Chapter 2: Like A Brother

"Not bad," Sasuke nodded after taking a good look around the living room. I bit back a giggle as his eyes went straight for the plush beige sofa. "Sweet couch," he smirked, eyeing up the extended part of the sectional.

"Thanks," I smiled. I shed my fall coat and continued to show him around. "The kitchen's right there, the bathroom's down the hall on the right, and my room's upstairs if you need anything, third door on the left." I rattled off, motioning to said rooms. "Help yourself to the TV and the fridge, I'll be upstairs."

"Cool," he grunted as he flopped down on the couch and began flipping through the TV channels.

I rolled my eyes and jogged upstairs. _Just like a man to go straight for the couch._ I laughed silently as I headed straight for the upstairs bathroom. I'd never been so eager to take a bubble bath in my life; I couldn't wait to scrub this whole mess off of me.

I sighed in relief, lowering my body into a steaming tub of fluffy bubbles. I could almost feel the stress melt off of me and into the water to be sucked down the drain forever. I allowed my eyes to drift shut as my head lolled back against the porcelain, every muscle in my body loosening; I almost forgot I wasn't home alone. After the most relaxing half hour of my life, I decided I'd better head back downstairs to begin my interrogation that Sasuke promised me. Just as I reached for the towel that hung on the back of the door, the slab of oak swung open and revealed a very confused Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" I shrieked, half in unbearable embarrassment and half in utter terror; this _can't _be happening! I grabbed my shirt and attempted to cover myself. "What do you need?"

Sasuke's eyes must've grown five times their normal size once he finally realized that he walked in on the bathroom instead of my bedroom. "Sorry," he said followed by the door slamming shut. "I thought this was your bedroom."

"I said the _third _door on the left," I corrected. I grabbed the towel and leaned against the door in a feeble attempt to calm my shaken nerves and cool the burning pools of blood that pushed against the surface of my cheeks. "This is the _second _door."

"Sorry," he apologized. His voice was close, almost like he was leaning against the door, too. "I just wanted to ask how to work your microwave,"

"I'll be right down."

It was nearly as embarrassing to show Sasuke how to use the microwave considering my naked body had been exposed to him and we haven't even known each other for more than four hours. "Than you, um," I stammered. The near painful embarrassment of the previous situation resonated with me in the form of deep scarlet pigments that stained my cheeks. I was sure Sasuke could see them, especially since we were both leaning over the microwave, just inches from the other's face. "turn the dial to whatever time you want and it'll start." I finished as it began cooking a microwave pizza that Sasuke put in before he came to get me.

"Oh," Sasuke nodded in understanding. His shadowy black eyes seemed lighter now, almost like they were a shimmery gray-ish color, like pavement after a fresh rain; I supposed it was a trick of the light. He even seemed interested in my explanation of the wonders of a microwave as if he never used one before. "I get it, thanks," he whispered the last word so I had to strain to hear it. "and sorry about-"

"Let's just pretend it never happened, okay?" I cut him off, feeling my face heat up even more at the memory.

"Okay," he agreed quickly. I could've sworn I'd imagined it, but it looked like Sasuke was _blushing_. I wrote it off as my imagination.

"So, how old are you?" I asked as I jumped up on the kitchen counter and swung my feet.

"Twenty-three,"

"Where are you from?"

"Originally?"

I nodded.

"Maine,"

"How'd you end up in New York?"

"I'm more of a traveler,"

I nodded again. "What did you do to get that guy so pissed at you?"

He hesitated for the first time. "It's a long story-"

"You have to tell me," I reminded him in a sing-song tone. I pulled out the pizza I'd made for Sasuke and took a bite.

"Hey, that's mine!" he whined. I giggled at the look on his face; he looked like a pouty six-year-old.

"Then tell me the story before I eat it all," I teased, taking another cheesy bite.

"I might've, maybe, pretended to be horrible at pool so he'd bet me so I'd win," he admitted shyly, running his hand through his hair. He seemed uncomfortable talking about himself now, a completely different side of him than what I saw on the ride here. He's acting like a little boy. It's sort of cute, like a rotweiler dressed in a tutu.

"He caught you hustling?" I giggled, the image of a ballerina rotweiler still in my head. "How much did you bet?"

"Three-hundred," he mumbled under his breath. "But he had a knife and some huge friends, so I bolted."

"Don't you know some killer kung fu moves or something?" I wondered. It was near impossible to imagine someone like Sasuke running away from a fight, no matter what the circumstances were.

"Street moves, but I'm not stupid enough to go up against a knife unarmed," he replied. "Can I have my pizza now?"

I nodded, taking one last bite before handing it over. A giant grin immediately spread across his face like butter, stunning me temporarily. I don't know what I expected Sasuke's smile to look like, but I wasn't expecting it to light up the whole room. "What?" I asked, my mouth still half full with cheese and sauce.

"You have a little sauce on your face," he chuckled after taking a massive bite out of the half-eaten pizza.

My eyes instantly widened and my face that had finally cooled was even hotter than before. "Oh my God," I murmured to myself. I wiped blindly at my face, only succeeding in smearing the sauce over my face even more. I was astounded by how much I've managed to humiliate myself in the span of one hour; Sasuke had me tripping over myself to get the red liquid off my face.

He laughed, a full-on belly laugh that made my stomach lurch slightly. "Let me get it," he offered, wiping around my mouth and cheeks with his thumb. He smirked and sucked the access sauce from his finger. "There, much better."

I raised a brow at him, certain there was more above my lip. I looked at my reflection in the microwave and was met with a tomatoe-y mustache. I wiped the back of my hand across it and turned back to Sasuke who was practically rolling with laughter. "Very funny," I mocked as I landed a playful punch on his shoulder.

"You're right, it was very funny," he laughed.

"I've known you for a quarter of a day and you're already acting like my brother," I smiled.

I noticed his smile fade ever so slightly at my words. "Well, I'm only here for one night so I thought I should make it interesting,"

"It's definitely interesting," I mumbled. Although I know virtually nothing about him, it's nice to have some company for once. "So, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

He shrugged apathetically. "Don't have any,"

"Oh," I nodded. I felt sort of sorry for Sasuke - no real home, hustling for money, no idea what he's doing every day - it all seemed sort of tragic. I glanced over at the clock on the wall. It read 11:30. "I should get to bed, it's been a long night."

"Okay," Sasuke replied. He sounded almost disappointed; I wrote it off to my imagination again. "I'll be out early tomorrow. I've already imposed enough."

"You don't have to-" I stopped myself. Was I _really _going to tell a stranger to take his time in my house? He already mooched one night off of me, I wasn't about to sell myself out as a push-over. "Okay, I guess this is goodbye, then."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded. "I guess so. I won't bother you again and sorry for tonight."

"It wasn't so bad," I smiled before turning on my heel and heading upstairs. "Goodnight,"

"Goodnight," he repeated. I watched him duck out of the kitchen and flop back down on the sectional, turning over so he was facing away from me.

"And goodbye," I whispered as I went to my bedroom and slowly shut the door behind me.


	3. Chapter 3: Surfer Boy

The One That Got Away, Chapter 3: Surfer Boy

I squinted and rubbed my eyes as the early morning sun peeked through my bedroom window. I sat up and looked drowsily at my alarm clock. It read 8:44AM. My mind instantly jumped to Sasuke. _I wonder if he left yet…_

I crawled out of bed and headed downstairs, my body on autopilot as I entered the living room. The couch was bare, the cushions plush as if no one has touched them and the throw blanket folded just as it was before Sasuke arrived. I sighed in disappointment; I almost hoped he'd still be here when I woke up. I shoved thoughts of Sasuke as far back as my mind would allow - he wasn't coming back and I could finally put this whole ordeal behind me. At least until I got to work and would have to spill everything about my very interesting night to my best friend.

"He jumped into your car?" my best friend, Ayame, gasped dramatically, her turquoise eyes brightening with shock. "Who just gets into someone's car like that?"

I giggled at her theatrics. Ayame always made everything sound like a soap opera, although having a stranger jump into your car isn't exactly an every day occurrence. "I know right? He made me take him to my house, too!" I continued, imitating her high-pitched tone. That was the only possible way to talk to Ayame - be just as dramatic as she was.

"He stayed at your _house_?" her lips automatically curled into a sly smile. "Was he good?"

"Ayame!" I gasped. My cheeks felt like they'd been lit on fire. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Apparently, not the fun kind," she winked suggestively as she grabbed a tray of colored martinis off to an unseen table.

I rolled my eyes at her assumption. How could she think anything would happen between Sasuke and I when we barely knew each other? Although, I should've expected her to ask something like that considering Ayame's had countless one-night stands; they're practically her hobby.

"Scotch on the rocks, please," a man said as he took a seat at the bar.

"I'm not-" I began to explain that I wasn't the bartender, stopping mid-sentence. I could mix nearly every drink on the menu by heart - not that a scotch was hard to make by any means - and figured that I could take care of the bar until today's tender got in. "Coming up,"

I poured the drink and slid it down the glossy surface in under a minute, the man gulping down the tan-ish liquid nearly as fast.

"Another one, please," he sighed, setting out the glass for me.

"Drowning our sorrows?" I smiled warmly. I grabbed the scotch bottle and refilled his glass. "A little early, isn't it?"

He grinned briefly before taking another large gulp from his glass. "Yeah, been a long week,"

"Mm," I hummed in understanding, catching a glimpse of myself in the huge mirror that lined the wall behind me. My red-brown tresses waved around my shoulders in a sort of messy way that somehow looked sexy while my black v-neck displayed just enough cleavage to be interesting. The gray shadow that decorated my chocolatey eyes blended out just enough to intensify their color without looking like I was trying too hard. All in all, I looked hot.

"I haven't seen you at the bar before," he said, sucking down the rest of his drink.

"I usually waitress," I replied just as Ayame returned, sending me a suggestive glance.

"Make a new friend, Sayuri?" she grinned.

"We were just talking," the man chimed in. His eyes glossed over Ayame like a predator eyeing up its prey, hers doing the same. I sighed and rolled my eyes. This always happened whenever Ayame and I are around the opposite sex. Their attention instantly shifts to Ayame as if she has magnets all over her perfectly slender body.

"And what's your name?" he asked seductively.

Ayame smiled her best innocent smile and leaned on the bar. "Ayame, and you are…?"

"Tanjiro," he said almost before she finished her sentence.

I turned and noticed another guy at the other end of the bar motioning to me. _Thank God. _I thought, slapping on my best sexy smile (that is how you get tips around here, which explains why Ayame is basically rich). "Hey there, what can I get you?"

"Rum and coke," he smiled back. His baby blue eyes seemed to twinkle when he looked at me and his platinum blond hair complimented his tanned skin.

"You don't look like you're from around here," I said as I slid him his drink smoothly. "You look like a surfer boy."

He chuckled at my assumption. "Good guess, I'm from Los Angeles,"

"How'd you end up in a bar in New York?" I wondered, absent-mindedly glancing down the bar at Ayame. She was laughing and sliding her hand along Tanjiro's arm. _Looks like she's found her next victim._

Surfer boy obviously noticed. "She your friend?" he asked, slyly switching the subject.

I nodded, blushing furiously at my horrible obviousness. "Yeah, she's always like that," I responded. I figured he was about to ask if she was single or how good she is in bed (as if I'd know), but his next statement surprised me.

"Oh, she's a bit easy, isn't she?"

I laughed at his directness. "I guess you could say that,"

"I've seen her a few times," he smiled, a toothy grin that made me giggle like an idiot. "She's not really my type, though,"

_That _shocked me. "Really? She's everyone's type,"

"Nah, not mine," he paused a moment to sip at his drink. "I'm Naruto, by the way,"

"Sayuri," I replied sweetly, tossing my hair over my shoulder like I always did.

"Well, Sayuri, thanks for the conversation, but I'd better get going," Naruto said as he polished off his rum and coke. "But if you're interested, a few friends and I are meeting at The Rave tonight and it'd be cool if you'd want to come, too."

I giggled and noded excitedly, sounding like a complete moron as I jotted my number down on a napkin. "Call me with the details?"

"Definitely," he chuckled at my reaction. "And here's for the excellent service," he added, slapping a fifty down on the bar before turning and walking out.


	4. Chapter 4: Just Dance

The One That Got Away, Chapter 4: Just Dance

I fished through my closet for something suitable to wear to a very popular nightclub without success. All I owned were shitty t-shirts and jeans, probably the least sexy clothes on the face of the planet. I pulled out my wallet and stared down at the massive tip Naruto gave me at the bar today. _This could be just enough for a decent club dress…_

"_Damn,_" Naruto whistled as I approached our designated meeting spot.

I smiled, smoothing out the skirt of my new dress. Its indigo pigment brought out the deep red in my hair and the bejeweled one-shoulder strap called attention straight to my face - mostly. "You really like it?"

"You look great," he nodded in approval. He held his arm out theatrically like we were in some sort of period film. "Shall we, m'lady?"

I giggled and linked my arm with his as he led me into the club. The darkness of the club caught me by surprise and took some adjusting, the twirling colored lights disorienting me even more. Catchy techno beats throbbed from under our feet, the intense bass making the floor bump with it while a hoard of people danced wildly in the center of the club, most of them wearing glow jewelry.

"Guys, this is Sayuri," Naruto introduced me to a group of guys sitting at the bar. "Sayuri, this is Sai, Kiba, Shino, and Sora."

"Hi," I smiled confidently, noticing the huge grins on their faces. It's amazing what a short dress and some high heels can do.

"Damn, Naruto, where'd you find her and where can I get one?" Kiba nudged Naruto, his amber eyes seeming almost wolf-like.

"Shut up," Naruto chuckled. "Do you want a drink, Sayuri?"

"A bloody Mary would be nice," I fluttered my eyelashes at him enticingly, taking a seat at the bar.

"Bloody Mary and a rum and coke," he called to the bartender, sliding a twenty across the ebony surface. "So, tell me about yourself,"

"What do you want to know?" I asked innocently, stirring my bloody Mary.

"Whatever you want to tell me,"

I thought for a minute and sipped at the slushy red mixture, a mini life story bubbling from my lips. I told him about my parents' divorce and about my misadventures at college and about how I lost my scholarship and had to drop out. My life sounded _madly _depressing but I didn't care and he didn't seem to, either. I suddenly felt so comfortable around Naruto, like we were old friends instead of acquaintances.

"Sorry," I apologized, shyly sipping at the alcohol-saturated slush. "I'm going on forever."

"Don't be sorry," he shook his head adamantly. He seemed so entranced by my horrendously depressing life that it was like he had to be pulled back down to earth. "Want to dance?"

I placed my glass on the bar and nodded, following him out to the packed dance floor. He shouldered his way to the middle of the raging crowd, our hands clasped tightly together so we wouldn't lose each other in the endless sea of bodies. From the heart of the drunken mob, the music throbbed even louder than when we walked it, I was almost unsteady at its beat. Multi-colored lights flashed over us in intervals - blue, pink, green, yellow, blue - strobe lights mixing in with the various colors. Naruto smirked at me, a sexy curve of the lips that attracted my full attention, as he gingerly put his hands on my hips and started to move to the music.

"I haven't danced in a long time," I admitted, snaking my arms around his neck.

The smile was even more obvious in his voice. "Don't think, just dance."

I silently complied and allowed my eyelids to sag, my mind feeling as if it were floating somewhere above our heads. My body went limp as my mind abandoned me, the hypnotizing beat taking control. I tossed my head back and raised my arms above me, swiveling my hips against Naruto's as I turned so my back was to him. I threw my head to the side, my hair sticking to the sweat that was beginning to form on my face while I pushed my hips as close as I possibly could against Naruto. His hands tensed on my sides, my skirt riding up as his hands glided up my body. I relished the surge of power that washed over me; he was following my lead just as I wanted him to and the stiff poke in my lower back was a confirmation of the power I wielded.

"You're too good at this," he breathed against my ear. His hot breath trailed down my neck and made me shiver, sending goose bumps sprouting up all over my body. Every nerve ending tingled like someone sent static electricity straight through them. I haven't felt this alive in _so _long.

I smiled to myself at his remark, shoving myself back into his body until a growl-like groan escaped his lips. We danced until our bodies ached, begging us to stop.

The six of us exited the club, laughing and wobbly from nonstop dancing and drinking.

"You looked awesome out there," Sora elbowed me playfully. "Such a naughty girl,"

"Shut up," I laughed, shoving him. "I'm _not _naughty!"

"_Sure,_" he held out the word. "See you around, Sayuri!"

I waved my goodbyes to the boys, turning to Naruto once they were out of earshot. "I had an amazing time tonight, thank you,"

"So did I," he replied with a smile.

We were silent for a minute or two, the crash of trash cans making us jump out of our comfortable lull. A man a few years older than me staggered out from an alley behind us, his nose bleeding profusely as he collapsed on the sidewalk.

"Oh my God," I gasped, running toward him as fast as I could manage in the platform heels I was wearing.

Before I could get two feet away, Naruto grabbed my arm. "Let him go, he's just another New York bum,"

I gaped back at him. Although there were plenty of homeless people around New York, I'd never seen one collapse right in front of me. "We can't just leave him here, he's _hurt!_" I protested, knowing that if we didn't help him, no one would.

I tugged free from Naruto's grip and made my way to the bleeding man on the sidewalk. I kneeled down next to him and carefully turned him over to get a better look at his injury. My eyes instantly widened. His translucent skin contrasted his thick blue-black hair in a shockingly familiar way that coaxed a gasp from my throat.

"Sasuke?" I said, shaking him gently. "Hey, wake up,"

A strangled groan was his response. I looked behind me and motioned for Naruto to help me get him to his feet.

"Do you even know this guy?" Naruto grunted as we struggled to put his arms around us so we could walk him to my car.

"Sort of," I shrugged. Sasuke reeked of alcohol and smoke and the blood that oozed from his nose and mouth wasn't anywhere near attractive. _What the hell did you get yourself into now?_ "But we can't just leave him here. Help me get him in my car,"

Naruto's eyes widened momentarily at the fact that I was actually going to take a drunk, injured man that I barely knew home, but he complied nonetheless.

"What are you going to do when he comes to?" he wondered, hauling Sasuke's unconscious body into the backseat of my car and slamming the door.

I shrugged, digging my car keys out of my purse. "Don't know,"

"Well, if you need anything, call me, okay?"

I nodded and laid a soft peck on his cheek. "Thanks again for tonight, I really needed it."

"My pleasure," he nodded before turning on his heel and heading off to his car up the road.

I watched after him until the tail lights of his car faded from sight, finally climbing into the driver's seat. I glanced back at the unconscious man sprawled out in my backseat, his nose still dripping with blood and the entire car beginning to smell like a cheap dive bar. I rolled down the window and jammed the key into the ignition. _I just can't get rid of you…_


	5. Chapter 5: Oranges?

The One That Got Away, Chapter 5: "Oranges?"

"Thank you so much, Haru," I smiled appreciatively as my neighbor, Haru, hauled Sasuke into my living room. "You can put him on the couch, I'll take it from here."

"No problem," Haru smirked. "I brought over some clothes he can wear, too. He reeks of cigarettes and liquor."

"Thanks," I said sheepishly. _He must think I'm crazy for bringing a guy like this home._ "You're a life saver."

"Someone's gotta look out for ya," he said with a wink. "I'll see you around."

I said my goodbyes and turned back to the passed out and bleeding man that now laid on my couch. I grabbed a wet washcloth from the bathroom and knelt in front of his face, dabbing gently at the tender wound. His nose wasn't broken - thank God - but it was battered and beaten pretty bad.

"Mm," Sasuke hummed, scrunching his face. "Ow,"

"Don't do that," I said. "You really got yourself into trouble this time." I sighed heavily as I continued to wipe dried blood from his face.

"Where am I?" he wondered drowsily. His voice was rough and hoarse from sleep and he struggled to open his eyes.

"You're at my place," I replied. His bottom lip was busted open and swelled three times its normal size. _No wonder his words are blurring together._ "Someone really did a number on you."

"My face," he groaned in pain. He reached to cup his nose, but I quickly pushed his hands back down.

"Don't touch it," I said firmly.

"Is it broken?"

I shook my head. "But it's beat up good,"

"Why'd you bring me here?" he asked, his black irises clouded with confusion. "Why didn't you just leave me there?"

I rolled my eyes and resumed my work on his lip. "I wasn't going to just leave you there, okay? It's not my style,"

"Your _style?_" he raised a dark eyebrow at me and chuckled. "Whatever."

"Oh, please, as if you don't love being taken care of by a woman," I taunted playfully. His nose had finally stopped spewing blood and his lip was free of the ruby substance.

"I never asked you to take care of me," he snapped defensively. He sucked in a deep breath and relaxed. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

"Fine?" I scoffed. I held up the blood-soaked cloth in my hand. "You lost a ton of blood, have a busted lip, and a nearly broken nose. You're _not _fine."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat up, instantly cupping his nose in pain. "_Shit, _that hurts,"

I threw the cloth back in the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of aspirin, filling a glass and bringing it out to him. "Take these, it'll help with the pain."

He nodded and downed two of them. "Thanks," he muttered.

I returned the nod and flopped down on the couch next to him. "What movies do you like?"

He stared at me as if my second head had made another appearance. "You're actually letting me stay again?"

I shrugged. "Until you get back on your feet, sure,"

"You barely know me,"

"How's _Fast and Furious_ sound?" I ignored his attempts to convince me to kick him out on the streets with nowhere to go. I looked at him and smiled my most inviting smile. "I know you're not going to slit my throat in my sleep or stash heroin in my medicine cabinet, so I guess that's enough to let you stay."

A small smile played with the corners of his mouth. "I love the _Fast and Furious_ movies,"

_Why am I not surprised?_

Before I knew it, we'd made it through four _Fast and Furious_ movies, Sasuke nodding off somewhere between the fourth and fifth ones. I couldn't help but stare at his sleeping figure. The way his raven mane fell over his forehead and brushed against his eyelids made me want to push it back in place. His whole frame released the tension that gripped it just a few minutes ago. For some unidentifiable reason, Sasuke always seemed so tense, at least when he was around me. His chest rose and fell with each breath he took, all of them slow and even. My eyes glided across his snowy skin until they hit the purpling bruise that stretched across the bridge of his nose, tainting the white like a scar in a forest. The swelling of his lip had gone down a bit, but the gash that'd begun to scab over was still red with irritation.

I smiled and gently brushed his hair from his eyes, my fingertips just barely skimming his skin, before I spread the throw over him. I cuddled up on the opposite end of the couch, so tired that I didn't even bother taking off my new dress. Before I could blink, unconsciousness pulled me into its black abyss.

The sound of popping grease shook me from my slumber, the distinct smell of bacon accompanying it. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and did a double take; _Sasuke _was making breakfast.

"What's all this?" I yawned as I entered the kitchen. Bacon sizzled and popped on the stove while Sasuke scrambled eggs and mixed pancake batter.

He looked up from his work for half a second to shoot me a fleeting smile. "Hey, you like pancakes, right?"

"Are they chocolate chip?"

"Shit," his face drained of all color. "I didn't see any chocolate chips-"

"Sasuke, I'm kidding," I giggled at the panicked expression plastered on his face. "Pancakes are great."

"Okay, good," he breathed a sigh of relief.

I sat at the table and watched at he cooked an entire breakfast buffet. "Since when do you cook?"

"My mom and I used to cook all the time," he said, running to flip the bacon. "Crispy or soft?"

"Soft," I answered quickly. "You were a momma's boy, then?"

"Yeah, my dad wasn't the nicest person,"

"Why's that?"

Sasuke shrugged and glanced at me. "Why are you still wearing that?"

I looked down at the now-wrinkled indigo dress. "I didn't feel like changing,"

"I don't like it,"

"You don't?" I asked, sounding painfully insecure. _Naruto said he loved this dress last night…_

He shook his head. "It doesn't seem like you,"

"Oh?" I raised a brow. "And you know me _so _well, right?"

"I'm just saying," he turned to flip the pancakes. "You just seem more like a jeans and t-shirts kind of girl."

I automatically thought of my closet crammed with old t-shirts and ripped jeans. "I just bought it for a date,"

"With who?" he asked, nonchalantly piling bacon onto a paper plate.

"Just a guy I met at work," I replied, copying his tone. "You really don't have to cook, y'know." I added as he put a plate piled with food in front of me.

"I figured that since you're letting me stay here, I should do something for you," he said. He sounded almost sweet, like he really wanted to repay me the only way he knew how.

I smiled and nodded, stabbing a piece of pancake and stuffing it into my mouth. "Oh my God," I gasped with wide eyes. "These are amazing!"

"It should be, it's my mom's old recipe," he grinned proudly. "Cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little orange zest."

"_Orange_ zest?" I choked out, looking down at the pancakes like they were poisoned.

"Yeah," his smile fell flat on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I'm allergic to oranges,"


	6. Chapter 6: The Lion's Den

The One That Got Away, Chapter 6: The Lion's Den

"Oh my God," Sasuke panicked, his eyes widening by the second. "Sayuri, I'm so sorry! I had no idea!"

I shook my head and waved dismissively, digging quickly through the drawer next to the stove. I could feel my throat rapidly closing and my tongue filling my mouth as I dug to the back of the drawer for my EpiPen. I flicked the cap off with my thumb and stabbed the needle into my thigh, depressing the syringe slowly. My throat began to open back up while my tongue shrunk back to its normal size.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke gasped. I knew I really scared him by the frantic tone of his voice and the wild look in his eyes.

"I'm fine," I breathed with a smile. "Just no more oranges."

"Deal," he chuckled, the humor in his tone still shaky.

I giggled and tossed the clothes Haru lent me at his face. "Now go shower, you smell like a dive bar."

"Shut up," Sasuke narrowed his eyes and smirked. "You smell like a nightclub."

"Touché," I threw over my shoulder as I trotted upstairs. I sort of hated the fact that Sasuke wasn't at all impressed by my a-little-too-sexy club dress, especially after it had such an effect on Naruto and his friends. I hated the way he had me totally pegged even more. _"You just seem more like a jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of girl."_

It seemed stupid to get mad over, but here's a guy who I've known for three days who thinks he knows me. _Am I really that easy to read?_

I jogged back downstairs after my shower, ungodly relieved that Sasuke hadn't barged in again and free of the sweaty film that clung to my skin from the night before.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I called from the kitchen, chewing on a piece of bacon and ruffling my damp hair with my other hand.

"Dunno," he replied from the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room.

He wore the faded jeans Haru lent him and rubbed his dripping tresses with the towel. My eyes must've grown three times their size when I realized he was shirtless. Beads of water ran from his hair, down his shoulders, over his sculpted chest and abs and finally fell to the floor; I could barely control the movements of my eyes as they watched this process at least six times.

"Impressive, huh?" he grinned devilishly, gesturing to his torso. "Takes a lot to maintain this body."

My face glowed fifteen shades of scarlet as I tore my gaze from him and forced myself to stare at the puddle he was making on the floor. "What do you want to do today?" I repeated shyly.

I could hear the cocky smirk in his tone. "Whatever you want to do,"

I stole a quick glance at his face before grabbing some paper towels and dropping to the floor. "Go put a shirt on and dry off, you're making a mess."

"Whatever you say, mom," Sasuke chuckled.

I let out the breath I was holding once he retreated to the bathroom. Sasuke was already good-looking, did he really have to push it to _sexy?_ Images of Sasuke's torso filled my mind and I began wondering what the rest of him looked like. _Pull yourself together, girl, _I told myself, realizing that I was wiping a dry floor with a wet towel. _Pull yourself together. _

"This better?" Sasuke asked from the hallway. The tight-fitted black shirt Haru lent him stretched across the planes of his upper body enticingly, the cotton fibers outlining his muscles.

I swallowed an animalistic whimper and nodded. "Better,"

Since neither of us could decide what to do with the day, we ended up roaming the streets of New York in a mostly comfortable silence. My eyes kept finding their way back to Sasuke, waiting for him to say something - _anything _- to distract my mind from the thought of his bare chest.

"So," he finally started. I turned a little too eagerly at the sound of his voice; I could tell it took him aback for a second. "Since I already answered your questions, it's your turn to answer mine."

I smiled and nodded, turning my attention to the sidewalk beneath our feet. "Shoot,"

"When's your birthday?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. "You want to know when my birthday is?"

"That's what I just asked, didn't I?" he retorted.

"December twenty-fifth,"

"Ooh, Christmas baby,"

I nodded. "When's yours?"

"Do you have any siblings?" he continued, completely ignoring my question.

"A brother,"

"Older?"

Another nod.

"Are you and him close?" he wondered. He stared up into the autumn sky, his eyes somewhere far away. The way his head was tilted caught the dim sunlight and reflected off of his irises, making them the same shiny gravel color they were the night we met.

I shrugged. "We used to be,"

"What happened?"

"He got into drugs," I sighed. A sharp pang of sadness stabbed straight through my heart at the mention of my brother. "I don't even know where he is."

"I have an older brother too," Sasuke said after a long moment of silence.

"Are you two close?"

"Nah," he waved carelessly. Although his tone and body language were apathetic, I could see the total opposite in the depth of his eyes. "He's always been the favorite."

We were quiet for an immeasurable moment, wandering the streets ainlessly as the weight of our conversation hung heavily between us.

"March eleventh," he said suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"My birthday," he clarified. "March eleventh."

"Oh,"

We were silent again until we approached the bar I worked at.

"Let's check this place out," Sasuke nodded toward the sign for the Lion's Den bar.

I complied, hoping that Ayame wouldn't be working today. I wasn't that lucky.

"_Who _do we have here?" Ayame purred as we approached the bar.

"Sasuke," Sasuke said flatly. "Heineken draft."

"Ayame," she winked seductively as she filled a frosty glass with amber liquid. "Sayuri, why haven't you brought Sasuke around before?"

"Had him locked in my closet," I replied. I meant for it to sound sarcastic, but it came out sharper than I anticipated. "Thought I should bring him out to get some air."

"You're so funny, isn't she funny?" she giggled giddily to Sasuke.

"Hilarious," Sasuke glanced at me from over the rim of his glass. I noticed the curve of his lips as he sipped at the foamy liquid; Ayame sure knows how to entertain.

"So, Sasuke, are you single?" Ayame leaned on the bar and fluttered her eyelashes; her signature.

"Yeah, but I kind of have my eye on someone," he shrugged, downing the rest of his drink. "Do you guys have anything to do around here?"

"There are pool tables and things downstairs-"

"Let's do that!" I cut Ayame off. I grabbed Sasuke's wrist and dragged him off toward the game room. "See you later, Ayame!"

"She your friend?" Sasuke asked once we were out of earshot.

"Yeah," I sighed under my breath. "She's a little-"

"Slutty?"

"I was going to say assertive," I corrected him. "but slutty works too."

We descended into the game room and went straight for the pool tables. "So, I hear you're some sort of pool shark," I taunted playfully. I grabbed the cues and tossed one at him.

He smirked and caught it with one hand. "Only if you're willing to bet me on that,"

I rolled my eyes. "Just break,"

Half way through our game, a group of burly men came down the stairs. I instantly tensed as they stormed over to us, their muscles rigid and bulging.

"You got some nerve showing up around here," one of the men thundered, the strength behind his voice making me jump.

Sasuke turned around slowly with his eyes narrowed into slits and his hand clenched around the pool cue.

_This is going to get bad really fast…_


	7. Chapter 7: Red Rum

**A/N: **Hi Everyone! I Just Wanted To Wish Everyone A Happy, Healthy, And Amazing Holiday. I Hope All Of Your Christmas Wishes Come True. This Chapter Is My Christmas Present To All Of You And I Hope You Enjoy It And Thanks So Much To Everyone Who Reads/Reviews. I Love Hearing Everyone's Feedback And I'm Really Grateful That It's All Been Positive So Far. And For All Of My Readers Out There, I Just Finished Reading Maggie Stiefvater's Series: _Shiver, Linger, _and _Forever_. I'd Strongly Recommend It To Anyone Who's Into The Whole Fantasy Werewolf Thing (Personally, I Hated Werewolves Until I Read This Series. Her Werewolves Are Much Better Than Stephanie Meyer's … Just Saying). Alright, Well Merry Christmas To Everyone And Please Review!

The One That Got Away, Chapter 7: Red Rum

My heart hammered against my ribcage as I carefully eyed Sasuke and the group of muscular men. I vaguely recognized the ringleader, like when you see one of your old friends from grade school who's all grown up. His muddy brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail that somehow seemed more menacing on him while it'd make some other guy look girly and his dark eyes flickered with rage like a candle in a gentle breeze. There were two other men with him, one had a buzz cut and looked like he was in the military at some point, although I doubted an ex-soldier would be intimidating a couple at a bar. The third man was shorter than the other two which made him seem out of place, like a kindergartener standing next to two seniors, and his bleach blond hair made him look more like a preppy teenager rather than an adult.

"What? You own the place now?" Sasuke hissed with an arched brow, issuing a silent challenge.

The pony tailed man stepped closer, he and Sasuke almost nose-to-nose. "I thought I taught you a lesson last night," he smirked at the bruise on Sasuke's nose.

"I was _drunk _last night," Sasuke pointed out. His hand stiffened on the pool cue like he knew he'd have to use it. It instantly made me more nervous. He cast me a sideways glance. "Sayuri, why don't you go upstairs?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat as everyone's eyes shifted toward me as if they hadn't noticed me until now. I didn't want to be down here with four testosterone fueled men, but I _definitely _didn't want to leave Sasuke to fend off all of them by himself.

"Sasuke," I murmured as I stepped behind him to hide from the curious eyes of the men. "I'm not leaving you by yourself."

"Uchiha," Pony tail guy looked around Sasuke to look at me. "You have _another _bitch? What happened to your blonde bimbo?"

I looked up at Sasuke curiously. _Blonde bimbo?_

"Although, they say that red-heads are crazy in bed," he continued. I grimaced as he made a biting gesture at me. "How about we test that theory?"

Before he could say another word, Sasuke's pool cue jammed between pony tail man's legs. He doubled over and Sasuke jabbed the end of the cue into his spine, knocking him to the floor. On an impulse, I snatched the second cue off of the pool table and charged at the military man who attempted to help out pony tail man. I held the cue with both hands and pinned him against the wall, the middle of the cue pushing against his Adam's apple. I craned my neck in an attempt to see how Sasuke was faring.

As soon as I turned my head, the cue came back at me and nailed me in the throat. I staggered back and gasped for air, my throat throbbing from the hard hit. I looked up just in time to see Sasuke clothesline military man; I supposed he was about to hit me again. Sasuke looked unharmed from this angle - but I couldn't see what the front of him looked like and part of me was afraid to. The blond man was already out cold on the floor with what looked to me like a broken jaw and a bloody nose while Sasuke struggled with pony tail man. I frantically scanned the room for anything I could use as a weapon. Pool cues were out since Sasuke broke his across military man's neck and the rack was behind pony tail man. The second thing I saw was an empty beer bottle on a table a few yards away from me, I guessed Ayame didn't get to cleaning down here yet.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed the bottle and darted over to Sasuke and pony tail man. "I'll show you crazy," I snarled, turning his attention to me. As soon as he turned to face me, I smashed the bottle as hard as I could across his face. The glass made an awful shattering sound as it connected with his face, the shards slicing his skin before crashing to the floor. He stood completely still for a second before he collapsed to the floor with the glass. I breathed heavily and dropped the other half of the bottle, blood pounding in my ears so loud that I couldn't even hear Sasuke when he tried to talk to me.

Sasuke suddenly grabbed my wrist and hauled me up the stairs and out of the bar, shouting something over to Ayame as we left. The frigid November wind bit at my face and slithered down the back of my shirt, finally breaking my adrenaline fueled trance.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke said. His voice sounded sharp and annoyed, like he'd asked me a million times. I supposed that's what he was saying before.

I nodded and bundled my coat around my neck to keep the wind out. My ears had finally stopped pulsing and my heart wasn't shaking my bones anymore; I was coming back down to earth. "Who were those guys?"

"Just a couple of tools I ran into," he replied sourly. He didn't seem injured, but he was holding his side suspiciously.

I motioned to it. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said a little too quickly.

We were quiet for a while until I built up the nerve to say what was on my mind.

"Who was he talking about?" I asked, not meeting his gaze. I don't know why it bothered me so much that he was with a girl last night - after all, I _was _with a guy - but the confirmation of it festered sickeningly in the pit of my stomach. I could almost picture her taking him home, roughly undressing him, and kissing him goodbye as she sent him off into the night. My stomach flopped at the thought.

"Just an old friend,"

"Oh," I nodded. I glanced over at him for any sign of a lie - heavy breathing, twitching, blinking a little to fast - but there was nothing, just Sasuke sending me a look from the corner of his eye.

For some reason, I didn't believe him.

That night, I stared at the ceiling above my bed like it was the most interesting thing in the world while my mind wandered endlessly about Sasuke. I knew he was from Maine, had an older brother, and was a momma's boy, but I knew nothing remotely important about what kind of person he actually was. Oh, and I knew his birthday.

I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut in a feeble attempt to coax myself to sleep without success. All I saw behind my closed lids was Sasuke fending off the men earlier today, his body tense as he swung the pool cue at them, the shattered jaw and bleeding face of the blond man and the ugly bruise on the throat of the military man from where Sasuke had hit him with the cue. The skilled was he'd fought all of them, barely needing any help from me, made me think he's been in countless similar fights before and the fact that violence and hostility seemed to follow him like a black cloud only reinforced my suspicion.

I threw the comforter off and headed for my computer. Without thinking, I did something I should've done the first night Sasuke and I met; I typed in a background check website in the address bar. I typed in Uchiha, Sasuke in the search bar and scrolled through the countless Uchiha's, stopping at a picture that looked eerily similar. I clicked on the name and read through the file.

_Name: Uchiha, Itachi_

_ Gender: Male_

_ Age: 27_

_ Hair: Black_

_ Eyes: Black_

_ DOB: October 15, 1984_

_ DOD: Not Deceased_

_ Criminal Record: Charged with aggravated assault. Never convicted._

_ The charges must've been dropped, _I scrolled down to the family history. It said the names, ages and birthdays of his parents and his only sibling: Sasuke Uchiha. I clicked on the link to their father's page.

_Name: Uchiha, Fugaku_

_ Gender: Male_

_ Age: 36_

_ Hair: Black_

_ Eyes: Black_

_ DOB: August 21, 1962_

_ DOD: January 16, 1998_

_ Cause of Death: Beaten_

My eyes widened. _"Yeah, my dad wasn't the nicest person," _Out of curiosity, I clicked on Sasuke's mother's page.

_Name: Uchiha, Mikoto_

_ Gender: Female_

_ Age: 32_

_ Hair: Black_

_ Eyes: Brown_

_ DOB: September 29, 1966_

_ DOD: April 7, 1998_

_ Cause of Death: Suicide_

My blood ran ice cold at the word. _Suicide. _When Sasuke spoke about his mother this morning at breakfast, his whole face lit up - he _adored _her - and to think she ended her own life made my heart break for Sasuke. _"My mom and I used to cook all the time," _

I half smiled at the thought of a little Sasuke cutting vegetables with the cheerful woman in the file photo standing behind him, guiding his hands so he wouldn't cut himself. The image made my heart squeeze in my chest. _I bet he was her favorite._

Even though every fiber of my body fought me, I clicked on Sasuke's file and scanned it until I hit _criminal record. _

_Criminal Record: Charged with murder in the second degree. Conviction was later reduced to "justifiable homicide" in the case of self-defense._

My heart stopped in my chest as I gazed at the screen, the word _murder_ calling my full attention. I forced myself to click on the "view more" link. The only other piece of information that came up was his trial date: February 9, 1998. I did the math in my head. _Sasuke was only ten when his dad died and his trial was right after his death… _

"What are you still doing up?"

I swiveled around in the computer chair, my eyes wide and my skin ice cold. Sasuke leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes intent on me.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, trying to see around me to the computer screen.

"Tell me what happened," I said carefully. I tried my hardest to keep my tone even. "and you'd better talk quick."

Disclaimer!: I Do Not Know Anything About The Legal System Or Trials Or Anything Like That. I Merely Looked Up The Degrees Of Murder And Based Sasuke's Criminal Record On My Research. And I Made Up All Of Their Birthdays Merely Because I Was Too Lazy To Look Up Their "Actual" Birthdays. Don't Crucify Me.


	8. Chapter 8: Justifiable Homicide

**A/N: **Hi Everyone! I Hope Everyone Had A Wonderful New Year And I Wish Everyone All The Best For 2012. Thanks To Everyone For Reading/Reviewing/Alerting/Favoriting And I'm Glad You're All Enjoying The Story So Far And Just To Make This Note Even Longer, Here's Another Reading Update. I've Been Into The Author Ellen Hopkins Lately And I'm Nearly Done With Her Book _Impulse_. For Anyone Who's Into Really Intense Books With Semi Disturbing Plot Lines, Then You Should Definitely Check Her Out. Okay, I'm Done Ranting For Now So Here's Chapter 8.

The One That Got Away, Chapter 8: Justifiable Homicide

Sasuke raised an ebony brow at me. "What are you-"

I swiveled around to give him a clear view of the screen. "That. I'm talking about _that_," I pointed to the word "murder".

"You looked me up?" he said as if he couldn't process the profile staring back at him. His face drained of all color and his frame stiffened as his eyes followed my finger to the screen; he looked like he was going to be sick.

"Please, Sasuke, just tell me what happened," I pleaded. I desperately wanted him to have a good explanation for murdering someone, something rock-solid and doubt-free that could put my panicking mind at ease, but I knew it wasn't that simple; the look on his face made that painfully apparent.

Sasuke stood in silence for an immeasurable amount of time, his shiny gravel irises darkening to black vortexes of unidentifiable emotion. The tension grew with every second that ticked by, each one weighing on my chest like an elephant, choking out every last ounce of oxygen in my lungs.

"It was a long time ago," Sasuke murmured almost inaudibly. He sounded somewhere far away, like he was traveling back to the memory instead of just recalling it.

I finally sucked in a shallow breath and attempted to relax while he explained himself; at least one of us should be slightly stable. I waited patiently for him to continue.

"I told you my dad wasn't the nicest person and that was an insane understatement. He was a complete asshole to all of us, especially my mom and me, always yelling at her for not cleaning enough or because supper was burnt, always yelling at me for crying every time they fought. I was only seven, I don't know what he expected. I guess he expected me to be like Itachi, he hardly ever showed emotion and was always in charge of trying to keep me quiet when they got into it so dad wouldn't turn his attention to us. Even though he was dad's favorite, not even Itachi was safe from dad's drunken rage. I found myself shaking in the closet more than once while Itachi took the beating for me."

There was a long pause before he continued. I swallowed hard while I digested what he'd said, which was like trying to digest a boulder. I guessed he was waiting for me to look somewhat comfortable with what he told me so far, or maybe he was just waiting for me to look more like I was listening and less like I was about to throw up. I placed my bet on the latter.

"Sometimes he wouldn't be that bad and we'd get off with a burning handprint, but those chances were slim-to-none and more often than not we'd go to bed with purpling bruises or nasty gashes from a smashed beer bottle. Itachi and I usually huddled together in bed and listened to mom sobbing while dad rambled on about something completely incomprehensible in his drunken stupor. When I was ten, Itachi ran away in the middle of the night and swore he'd come back for me. He left a note for mom and never came back. After Itachi left, dad's drinking got even worse and so did the beatings. I even ended up in the hospital one time from extreme blood loss. The doctor said that if I'd waited ten more minutes, I would've died. When I came home from the hospital, dad still came after me and instead of getting scared, I got pissed for the first time. I was his _son _and he treated me like his personal punching bag, so I grabbed my baseball bat and swung at him until I couldn't recognize him anymore. When I told mom, she actually _thanked _me and we told the whole story to the police. I was convicted of second degree murder and when we testified, the judge reduced it to justifiable homicide and let me off scot free."

I stared at Sasuke with wide eyes, my breath caught in my throat as I processed his entire story. It was difficult to try and imagine Sasuke broken and vulnerable, hiding from his father's fists and near impossible to imagine someone doing that to their own child. I choked back the bitter acid that rose up in the back of my throat and forced myself to speak.

"Then what happened?"

"Well, I got majorly depressed because Itachi never came back and my mom lost her oldest son and her husband. It just became too much for her and I came home from school and found her in the bath tub with her wrists slashed."

"My God," I sighed, half because his story was so awful and half because my stomach was doing somersaults.

"Sorry," Sasuke rubbed his temple with his fingers. "I didn't mean to go into such detail."

I shook my head. "I asked for the story, I should've been prepared."

"Still, I didn't mean to dump all of that on you," he chuckled humorlessly. "How could have seen that one coming?"

"I'm s-"

"Please, _don't _say you're sorry," he cut me off bitterly. "I'm not sorry for what I did and I don't want anyone else's pity."

"I was just going to say sorry about your mom," I said softly, his sudden hostility catching me off guard. "I know you loved her."

He half-smiled. "Yeah,"

We stared at each other through the darkness for what seemed like forever, the bluish glow of the computer screen our only light source; not even the moon was out tonight. I finally broke our gaze to shut down the computer and crawl back into bed.

"I'll let you sleep," Sasuke said, his silhouette barely visible in the door frame.

"Wait," I called after him. "Can you stay here with me?"

I knew I sounded like a five-year-old girl who still needed her daddy to fend off the monsters in the closet, but I didn't care; I couldn't bear the thought of the nightmares I was going to have. Suddenly, another warm body slid into bed next to me, his body still rigid from the trip down Memory Lane and his breaths exaggeratingly long. I scooted closer to him and settled myself under the comforter, awkwardly setting my head on his chest and nuzzling into the fabric of his tank top. Sasuke carefully wrapped his left arm around my shoulders, his frame slowly relaxing as our body heat swelled between us. I suddenly had to urge to lean up and kiss him, to touch my lips to his and wrap my arms around his neck to secure him to me, but I resisted with every rational fiber of my being.

"Thank you," I whispered against his chest.

"You, too,"


	9. Chapter 9: Wanted

The One That Got Away, Chapter 9: Wanted

I awoke the next morning to an unusually bright November sun peeking through the window and piercing my closed lids, dying the blackness behind them red. I absent-mindedly ran my hand over the space to my right where Sasuke was lying last night; all I gathered were sheets. A wave of panic washed over me as I threw my body up on my elbows and scanned the room for Sasuke. Through the haze of panic, I could hear what sounded like rain coming from down the hall.

_Shower, _I sighed silently. _He's in the shower. _The panic ebbed away and an overwhelming sense of stupidity took its place; where did I think he was going to go?

Images of Sasuke standing under the steaming water filled my thoughts, thin streams gliding down his chest, torso, abdomen, lower…

I swallowed hard and put my hand on my forehead; it felt like I broke out in a fever.

"Morning, sunshine," Sasuke greeted me from the door frame. He wore nothing but a fluffy white towel and a grin that grew infinitely wider as he watched me look him over. "Like what you see?"

_God, yes, _I groaned to myself as a scarlet flush crept across my cheeks and extended to my hairline. "Um, couldn't you get dressed in the bathroom?"

"I left my clothes in here," he motioned to the pile on the dresser. "and I expected you to still be asleep."

I nodded and gulped around the lump in my throat, wishing I'd feigned sleep a few minutes longer. "Okay, I'll let you get dressed then," I stammered, hurrying past him. I strained to resist the impulse to run my hands over his muscular frame and crash my mouth onto his, push him back onto my bed and shed my clothing like a Velcro suit.

"Cold water helps," Sasuke called after me as I made my way to the bathroom. He sent me a wink as if he could read my mind before he disappeared into my bedroom.

"So, what are your plans today?" I asked as I skipped downstairs to Sasuke who was shoveling cereal into his mouth.

"Dunno," he replied, his speech jumbled from a mouthful of Captain Crunch. "What are yours?"

"I have work until five," I grabbed my coat and glanced at the clock. "You have eight hours to yourself."

"Oh," he nodded. He gulped down the excess milk and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, do you want to maybe do something when you get off?"

"Like a date?" I raised my brow.

He shrugged. "Whatever you want to call it,"

I couldn't even attempt to force back the huge smile that spread across my face, my cheeks were beginning to ache from the strain. "Yeah, sure, sounds fun."

Sasuke returned the idiotic smile and chuckled. "I'll try not to get into too much trouble before then,"

"Just don't get beaten up," I teased playfully. "or arrested and I'll be happy."

"I'll try," he promised with the sweetest smile I'd ever seen.

I sucked in a shallow breath and smiled and I reluctantly left for work, wondering how he can alternate between bordering-on-over-confident and sexy to shy and sweet.

"He's _still _at your house?" Ayame squealed as she practiced mixing the newest addition to the cocktail menu.

"I told him he could stay until he gets back on his feet," I explained simply.

"What happens if he doesn't?" she challenged with a raised brow. She examined my expression. "Do you even _want _him to?"

"Of course I do," I sighed. It was something I hoped for Sasuke to achieve - a job, a house, a _life _of his own - but I couldn't ignore the part of me that wanted him to need me forever. It felt great to be needed - _really _needed.

Ayame shot me a doubtful look. "Really?"

"Since when did you become Dr. Phil?" I retorted sharply, quickly getting annoyed with her judgments. Who was she to judge me, anyway? _She's _the one who can't go a single night without a bedmate, why should I feel bad for wanting to be needed?

"I was just saying,"

"I never asked for your opinion," I snapped.

"Okay, okay," she rolled her eyes. "What crawled up your ass?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, okay? I just don't need to be judged by _you,_"

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Ayame pushed, dropping what she was doing and turning to face me. She arched an inky black eyebrow and put her hand on her hip; she was ready for a battle.

I was never the type to fight - with words or with fists - but her stance made me bristle as I formulated the first blow; I was ready for a war. "I just don't think you have a right to talk considering your less-than-flattering reputation, you practically throw yourself at anything with a penis." I flicked my hair behind my shoulder. "It's so sad that you have to resort to sex to get male attention."

It was obvious my words stung by the expression plastered on her overly made-up face, her turquoise eyes filling with what I suspected were angry tears. "At least I _get _male attention! It's so sad that I get the attention you wish you got!"

I didn't even blink. "That's because they know you won't put up a fight. You might as well start charging, at least then you'll be getting something in return."

"That's what you really think, huh?" she choked out as the tears fell down her face, dragging her make up with them.

"Since the day we met," I admitted.

I should've felt bad - _would've _felt bad - if they were thoughtless words spouting from my mouth in the heat of the moment, but it was the truth. I was just telling her what everyone thought of her; did that make me a bitch? Somehow, I didn't care either way, it felt great to finally tell Ayame what I've thought of her every day for two years. What felt even better was seeing her cry at the realization that she was a total whore; did it _actually _come as a surprise or betrayal to her? She can't be _that _dense … can she?

"What happened to you?" she sobbed, tears staining her cheeks and turning her eyes red. "I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

I chewed on that for a minute and silently thanked God that it was the slowest day we've had in over a month. This already wasn't pretty, I didn't want anyone to see it get ugly. "How could you? All you've ever cared about was yourself."

_That _was the final straw. Ayame completely crumbled into a sobbing mess and ran to the refuge of the back room to cry off all of her make up. I sighed heavily in an attempt to exhale all of the negative energy that possessed me for those few brief moments as two girls took seats a few feet down the bar.

"So, who was that guy you were talking about?" a pink haired girl asked the girl next to her. I tried not to stare at her cherry blossom hair; it was obviously dyed and yet somehow still managed not to look entirely horrible on her.

"I met him a few nights ago," her blonde friend replied. I started mixing a tray of drinks just to look busy as I immediately thought back to what the man said in the basement yesterday. _"What happened to your blonde bimbo?"_

I shoved that thought out of my head. _There are tons of blonde chicks, what are the chances that _that _one wandered back here?_

"He was pretty wasted by the time I went over to talk to him, but _man _was he hot," she giggled. Her bleach blonde ponytail swayed as she spoke and her tight-fitted and low-cut top left nothing to the imagination; she was definitely a bimbo. I bet she and Ayame would get along great.

"What'd he look like?"

"Jet black hair and eyes to match," she sighed dreamily. "I've never seen anyone with such dark eyes before, he looked like a real bad boy."

A pang shot straight through me like a lightning bolt at her words; _she _was the blonde bimbo.

"So what else happened?" her pink haired friend urged a little too excitedly.

"Well, we had a few drinks and I asked if I could come back to his place-"

_That bitch was in my house?_

"-but he said he was staying with a friend, so we went back to my house."

_Oh, God. _

"We made out for a while and got pretty handsy, but he said some other chick's name so that was the end of that."

_Another girl's name…?_

"Whose name?"

"I don't know, something with an S," she waved carelessly. "All I know is that it wasn't Ino."

"Um, excuse me?" the pink haired girl motioned me over. "Two margaritas, please,"

I forced myself to smile as I mixed their drinks and placed the glasses in front of them. "Anything else?"

"Mine doesn't have enough salt," Ino looked at her drink like it was poisoned. "I'm not drinking it without more salt."

"Fine," I gritted my teeth and put more salt on the rim of her glass. "There. That'll be six seventy-five,"

"Damn, I forgot my wallet," Ino sighed dramatically. "Sakura, will you be a doll?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly and paid for the drinks. I looked at the clock. _Two more hours until Sasuke gets here. _I prayed they wouldn't be here when Sasuke came for me, but I wasn't anywhere near that lucky.


	10. Chapter 10: Risky Business

A/N: Hey Everyone! So, It Took Me An Entire Weekend To Plan And Write This Chapter And I Really Like It And I Hope You Do Too. Sasuke Is A Little OOC Here, But Like I Said Earlier In The Story, I'm Doing This For A Reason. Sayuri Is Also A Little OOC, But You'll See Why. Alright, Well I Hope You all Enjoy And Please Review!

The One That Got Away, Chapter 10: Risky Business 

"That's him," Ino murmured to Sakura as Sasuke strode through the door.

His eyes paused for a second on Ino before he brushed her off and flashed me a blinding smile. "Hey,"

"Hey," I smiled back. The scowl on Ino's face was priceless; it took everything in me not to laugh. "So, where are we going?"

"Be careful with that one," Ino chimed in, her tone venomous. Ino reminded me of a king cobra, putting on a show before she strikes. "He likes to … drift off quite often."

"Maybe if you kept him interested then he wouldn't have to think of someone else," I threw back at her accompanied by a dark smirk.

She raised a bleached eyebrow at me. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," I waved her off. "Now, where are we going?"

Sasuke chuckled and nodded toward the door. "You'll see,"

After the most anxious subway ride of my life, we ended up downtown at some shady looking abandoned building. "Eagle's Head Brewery" was in worn out letters across the top of the structure along with the silhouetted figure of a flying eagle.

"An abandoned brewery?" I asked doubtfully. My stomach tightened as realization dawned on me; this could be something really bad.

"C'mon," he pushed, leading me to the door.

The door was chipped and broken with a board over a small window near the top. All of the windows were broken and boarded up with spray-painted graffiti in every available space. Some were very skilled and detailed, like one of the changing seasons that took up the entire side of the building, while most were sloppy tags thrown up in a rush. I admired them until a rhythmic knocking pattern shook me from my thoughts. The board in front of the door's window slid open to reveal a pair of what looked like cat's eyes.

"Invitation?" a woman's voice demanded, her voice raspy and hushed.

Sasuke pulled a crumpled piece of black paper from his pocket and held it in front of the window. The eyes looked it over and nodded.

"Welcome," the woman said as the door creaked open. Inky black hair fell down her left shoulder in a heap while her yellow cat-like eyes skimmed over us. A silky royal purple tank top swooped down her chest to show more than enough cleavage and hung by silver chains that twinkled against her creamy skin. "It's nice to see you again, Sasuke," she hissed seductively before glancing at me. "Fresh meat?"

"Yeah, thought I'd show her a good time," Sasuke purred back as he slung his arm over my shoulders.

"She's an adventurous one," the woman smiled malevolently. In that instant, I thought she might actually lure me away and sink her canines into my neck. A shiver rolled through my body at the thought.

"Follow me," cat-lady instructed, leading us down a dimly lit hall to a flight of stairs.

"Are you sure about this place?" I whispered to Sasuke. My feet froze on the first step, terrified that I'd be walking into a drug den or a vampire cult lair. I gazed up at Sasuke knowing that I looked like a petrified child but I didn't care; I needed to hear him say it was safe.

"Do you _really _think I'd take you somewhere dangerous?" he grinned reassuringly. "You'll be fine, these guys know how to have a good time."

I swallowed hard and followed him and cat-lady down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was another door with a boarded up window. Cat-lady rapped on the door so fast that I couldn't even attempt to catch the rhythm, but I guessed that was the point.

"Who do you have for me?" a man's voice said as another set of eyes appeared from behind the board.

"Sasuke and a newbie," cat-lady motioned to us.

The pair of eyes scanned over us briefly before nodding and opening the door. "Welcome, we hope you have a great time with us."

"Have a good night, Sasuke," cat-lady purred over her shoulder as she made her way back up the stairs. "Watch out for your newbie, you know how fond we all are of you."

"See ya, Lilith," Sasuke waved to her.

We watched her retreat to the darkness of the upper level before we entered the room ahead of us. It was pitch black at first until yellowish beams of light began to twirl somewhere in the distance and hard core metal music thrummed throughout the room.

"You'll need one of these," Sasuke murmured against my ear. The exaggerated use of the bass in the music shook the walls and vibrated through my body; we literally couldn't be more than an inch from each other if we wanted to hear the other which was a fact I didn't mind at all.

I squinted into the dark in a feeble attempt to make out what Sasuke'd handed to me without success.

"You might want to turn it on," he chuckled.

A beam of light spewed from the object and illuminated the path in front of us - it was a flashlight.

Sasuke held his flashlight under his chin and smirked devilishly. "It's blackout night,"

"Okay," I shrugged. "What now?"

"We join the party," he smiled mysteriously before grabbing my hand and hauling me through the dark room.

We took so many twists and turns that I couldn't even use my flashlight to guide me through all of the halls we were nearly running through. We finally emerged from the hallway maze into an auditorium type room filled with countless people all crammed together and holding flashlights. A stage seemed to be raised at the other end of the room occupied by a group of people whose flashlights were facing the audience.

"Is this a concert?" I guessed as an ear-splitting electric guitar riff erupted from the stage.

"For tonight," Sasuke nodded. "C'mon, we're going to miss the show." he added as he pulled me into the massive crowd.

We elbowed and fought through the countless bodies for an immeasurable amount of time before we got somewhere near the front. The band's lights cast some much needed brightness over the shadowy crowd and filtered thin streams of light through the first few rows of people.

"This isn't really my style," I admitted over the wail of the guitars and the crash of the drums.

"Exactly," he replied. "I wanted to get you out of your comfort zone. Just lose yourself, I won't let anything happen to you."

It was difficult to imagine losing myself in the chaos that surrounded us, but I complied and turned my attention to the band. Despite the chaotic nature of the instruments, the singer's voice was that of a fallen angel - beautiful and enchanting with a powerful note of pain, anger, and brokenness. I ignored my instincts and closed my eyes, allowing the pained lyrics to burrow into me.

I've never been a fan of the hard core rock that was crashing around me, but it somehow found a home in my mind and coaxed me into a hypnotic lull that was slightly like the feeling I got at The Rave but completely different at the same time. The techno beats that lived at The Rave were fueled by lust and sweaty desire to jump anything with a pulse, but the hard metal beats that resided here were fueled by pain and anger and sadness that washed over you with such overwhelming force that you quickly became numb so you wouldn't have to think about all the time in your life that you've felt those emotions. My body shut down as if to put up a force field to protect me from those painful memories and allowed me to become a strange sort of calm that I'd never experienced before. Suddenly, something that felt like plastic was thrust into my free hand.

"Try that on for size," Sasuke laughed, his lips tickling the nape of my neck. "It's the house special for tonight. They call it a power outage."

I slung the drink back in one gulp, the multitude of liquors that I couldn't identify burning my throat and coursing through my veins like molten lava.

"Damn, calm down or I'm going to be carrying you out of here," Sasuke warned with a chuckle.

"That doesn't sound so bad," I murmured back. I suddenly felt so much bolder than I had just a few minutes ago, or had it been hours? I couldn't tell anymore. "Another one, please."

Before I knew it, Sasuke was dragging me out of the suffocating large crowd and back into a secluded corner that I didn't even know existed.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I stumbled after him. My head felt fuzzy and my mouth was full of cotton; nothing I said was coming out clear.

"You were making out with some scumbag," Sasuke explained. Even though it was dark and I had tunnel vision, I could still see his jaw clench as he spoke.

"I _what?_"

"You were about to go off with that guy," he almost growled.

"He wasn't you?" I asked slowly, unable to comprehend what he was telling me.

"No, he wasn't me," Sasuke's tone suddenly softened and he relaxed his whole frame.

"I'm so sorry!" I wailed. An overwhelming wave of regret crashed over my head like a ton of bricks as hot tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. "Sasuke, I swear I thought t was you! Please don't be mad at me," the last sentence came out as a whimper as I crumbled in on myself.

Sasuke grabbed my shoulders and crushed my body into his, my head on his chest and his chin on my hair. "I'm not mad at you, please don't cry," he begged me. His hand smoothed out my hair as I sobbed into his shirt.

"I just don't want you to be mad at me," I mumbled against the fabric of his t-shirt.

"Listen to me," he said, tearing me away from him so he could look into my eyes. "I'm not mad, I'm glad."

"Glad?" my brows furrowed together in confusion.

He nodded and smiled. "I'm glad you were thinking of me,"

The tears the poured from my eyes ran dry as soon as those words registered in my fuzzy mind and a relieved grin took their place. "Can you take me home now?"

"Anything you want," he chuckled.

_That's what I hoped you'd say. _

I restrained myself on the subway and settled for leaning my head on his shoulder. I could feel my rational mind resurfacing but I shoved it as far back as I could; I didn't want to think tonight, not about this. Sasuke supported most of my weight as I stumbled down the sidewalk to the house.

"Wait," I said as he swung the door open.

"What?"

"There's something I want to do first," I took a step toward him.

He arched his brow. "And what's that?"

I slid my arms around his shoulders and pulled his mouth to mine in a slightly sloppy but hungry kiss. He hesitated for a second before his hands grabbed at my hips and his lips mimicked mine. A surge of desire shot through my veins as I used all of my weight to push him back into the house, the door clicking shut behind us as I let my hands finally roam his body like I'd imagined a million times before. His muscles flexed enticingly under my touch, making my heart beat so fast I thought it'd explode right there. I fumbled with the hem of his shirt for a minute before lifting it up over his head and abandoning it on the floor as I pushed him back through the kitchen and up the stairs. Sasuke's back hit the door of my bedroom with a loud _thud_ as I pushed him into it, a groan escaping his lips as his hands wandered up my shirt to my breasts which made me imitate the animalistic sound.

My shirt flew over my head so quick, I barely had to pull my mouth from his as his fingers toyed with the clasp of my bra. I felt around behind him for the door knob, my hand shaking with anticipation while he laid little bites down the side of my neck. The door finally gave way and I quickly found myself straddling Sasuke with my pants undone. I kissed from his lips down to the top of his jeans and back, relishing the way his hand knotted in my hair and the howl-like moans that erupted from his throat. He held my mouth to his as I squeezed my hands between our sweaty bodies and nearly ripped the button of his jeans open. Suddenly, Sasuke threw his body over so he was on top of me and held my hands down on the mattress.

"Wait a second," he panted, his forehead resting against mine.

"Why?" I breathed. My body shook with desire as my lips found his again, the same desire reflecting back at me with such intensity that I nearly convulsed under him.

"Just wait, _please,_" he pleaded, taking his lips from mine.

I waited for what felt like forever as we both caught our breath and calmed down. He rolled off of me and sighed.

"Sayuri, you're drunk," he sighed heavily as he buttoned his pants back up.

I bit my lip as salty tears stung the back of my eyes. "No, I'm not,"

"I can taste the alcohol on your breath," he retaliated. "I might be drunk just from that."

"If you didn't want me, you could've just shot me down at the door," I choked out. I fought to keep the tears that threatened to spill over in check; it was much easier said than done.

"Sayuri, you have _no _idea how badly I want to," he rolled over to face me. "but not like this. I want you to remember it."

I looked up into his onyx irises and let a single tear roll down my cheek. "You can go now,"

Sasuke stood and sighed. "I'm sorry,"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and pulled the comforter up over my exposed body, rolling over so I couldn't watch him leave. As soon as I heard the door click shut, I let the waterfalls flow.


	11. Chapter 11: Chasing Cars

A/N: Alright, I Know This Chapter Is Kinda Short, But I Thought Since Chapter 10 Was So Long That I'd Throw In A Short And Sweet Chapter. I Hope You All Like It And Please Review!

The One That Got Away, Chapter 11: Chasing Cars

Two weeks passed without a proper conversation between Sasuke and I; we hardly _looked _at each other let alone _talked._ December rolled in with vengeance, condemning New York to an endless white abyss. The landscape seemed to reflect the current state of our relationship - cold, barren and silent white.

"I got a job," Sasuke prompted as I got my things for work. "at the music store down the road."

"Oh," I spared him a glance as I shrugged on my coat. "That's great."

He half-smiled and returned his attention to the TV. That was the extent of our conversations as of late, a few sentences here and there but never anything substantial.

"I'll be back later," I tossed over my shoulder before heading out into the frigid afternoon.

I ambled lazily to work, barely lifting my feet as they scraped against the heavily salted sidewalk. Snowflakes fell in fat clumps from the winter gray sky that added to the equally gray landscape piled with heaps of packed white powder. I lifted my gaze from the sidewalk to a snow-covered park that radiated laughter. A man and a woman threw snowballs at each other that fell apart midair, the remnants showering down on them as if they were the center of an invisible snow globe. The woman's cardinal red pea coat was speckled with flakes and made her wheat blonde hair stand out against the vibrant fabric while she twirled around in circles with her arms extended and her face to the sky. Her male counterpart ran up behind her and lifted her off her feet only to twirl her faster. She threw her head back against his shoulder and let a pixie-like laugh escape her lips.

I stood frozen on the sidewalk with my eyes fixated on the couple. The childish carelessness they possessed formed an envious green bubble in my stomach. _Why can't I have the love and weightlessness they have?_ I suddenly didn't have any desire whatsoever to pretend to be interested in random guys and mix drinks while they stared at my ass for eight hours, so I headed across the street toward the park. I wasn't twenty feet from the couple when the man knelt in the snow and presented a velvet box to the woman. A shrill squeal assaulted my ears as she nodded furiously and cupped her hands over her mouth, her tone jumping a few octaves when he slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

"I'm _engaged!_" she ran over to me and held her left hand out.

I smiled my warmest smile and gazed down at the sparkling diamond that graced her finger for a respectable amount of time. "It's beautiful,"

"Thank you!" she squealed. I watched her retreat to her fiancé who led her out of the park and down the street.

I sucked in a lungful of the icy air and trudged through the three feet of snow that was rapidly deepening. I wandered aimlessly until I found an untouched section of shining powder. I fell back into the snow and stared up into the sky, snow falling soundlessly around me and instantly melting as it hit my face and hair. I lay there and watched as the sky morphed into the trio of colors that signaled the approaching evening - rosy pink, sherbet orange and wintry blue.

"Cold yet?"

I sighed and watched my breath puff from my lips and swirl away into the air.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Sasuke asked. He sounded more like a scolding parental figure rather than a roommate; it annoyed me endlessly.

"Didn't feel like it," I replied shortly with a shrug that made the snow crunch under me.

"Well, I brought home some dinner if you're hungry," he flopped down in the snow next to me, his head only inches from mine. "What made you want to come here?"

I thought for a moment. "I don't know. I just wanted to lay here, I guess."

There was a long pause before he spoke again. "I'm sorry for-"

"Don't," I cut him off. My face instantly heated up at the mention of my night of sheer stupidity. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

"Are you still mad?" he sounded like a child that was worried about upsetting his mother. It was the most endearing thing I've ever heard.

I let a breathy laugh swirl into the air above us like a dancing ghost. "I was never mad at you,"

"Then why haven't you so much as _blinked _in my direction for weeks?"

"Because I'm ungodly embarrassed," I blurted in a rush. "I got drunk, threw myself at you and got shot down. I couldn't face you after that."

"I didn't want to take advantage of you," Sasuke whispered almost inaudibly. "I'm trying to be a decent human being."

I rolled on my side to stare straight into his shiny gravel colored eyes as I said, "You _are _a decent person, Sasuke. You just keep convincing yourself that you're not."

"I'm going to start helping out," he declared with squared shoulders. "I want to feel like I deserve your generosity instead of like I'm freeloading."

I wanted to disagree and tell him he wasn't a burden, but I knew it'd make him feel better, so I nodded and rolled back over. "Okay,"

A silent lull blanketed us as we searched the sky for the answers we didn't have. The answer I wanted so desperately to know was up there somewhere; if I squinted hard enough I could just barely see it in the smear of color that quickly faded from the sky.

"Ready to go home?" Sasuke interrupted my train of thought. The sunset had long since been replaced by the midnight blue of the later evening. The moon hung high over us, the dim silver light illuminating the snow and making the park seem magical.

"Can we lay here a little longer?" I replied, still searching for the answer that hung in the sky somewhere.

Sasuke smiled and nodded despite the near violent shutters that rolled through my body. He scooted closer and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, guiding my head onto his chest. We didn't utter another word, the only sounds were our breathing and our hearts that beat in sync with the other. I sighed in satisfaction and nuzzled into him. _This is how it should be…_


	12. Chapter 12: Party For Two

The One That Got Away, Chapter 12: Party For Two

"That'll be thirty-one-sixty-four," a ragged cashier read dully from the register.

I nodded and pulled some bills from my wallet for the bottles of liquor that sat on the counter - whiskey for Sasuke and raspberry wine for me.

"Having a party tonight?" the cashier smirked as he counted out the change. Something about the curve of his lips was unsettling, it was almost joker-like in appearance and menace. Coupled with his receding gray hair and bloodshot eyes, he wasn't exactly inviting.

"Kind of," I half-smiled nervously.

"Well, be safe," he handed me a five and some coins. "Wouldn't want to see a pretty thing like you on the news in the morning. Happy New Year"

"You, too," I mumbled under my breath. I hurriedly scooped the bagged bottles up in my arms and bustled out the door, careful to avoid the gaze of the cashier.

I gently placed the bottles in the passenger's seat and slid into the driver's side. I opened my wallet to add the change to the array of small bills that occupied my wallet and spotted the check Sasuke had given me on Christmas a few nights ago.

_"Sasuke!" I called as I closed the front door behind me. "I'm ho-" the words died on my tongue. _

_ Sasuke stood in front of a massive Christmas tree decorated from top to bottom in glass ornaments. Multi-colored lights twinkled on the branches and made the ornaments sparkle while gold tinsel wrapped half-way up the tree before trailing off to the side and wrapping around Sasuke instead._

_ "What's all this for?" I giggled at the horrified expression plastered on his face._

_ "You weren't supposed to be home for another hour," he sighed as the smoke alarm went off._

_ We exchanged a brief glance before running full-speed to the kitchen to be met with a smoking pan of what once seemed to be chicken. I grabbed a dish towel and frantically waved it to try and disperse the smoke as the harsh scent assaulted my nose._

_ "Damn it," Sasuke muttered sourly, taking the pan from the stove and dumping it in the sink._

_ As the burnt scent faded, the spicy scent of the chicken wafted through the room accompanied by the earthy smell of mushrooms. I took a good whiff. "Was that chicken in mushroom sauce?"_

_ "It was supposed to be," Sasuke sighed dejectedly. _

_ "How'd you know that's my favorite dish?"_

_ He shrugged and shuffled his feet beneath him. "I might've gone to The Lion's Den and asked Ayame if she knew what your favorite food was. It was supposed to be done when you got home," he kicked angrily at the tinsel around his legs. "and now it's ruined."_

_ I smiled fondly at him and cupped his face in my hands so I could have his full attention. "It's beautiful. Thank you,"_

_ "The tree's not even finished," he mumbled, leaning into my touch. "I wanted to surprise you for your birthday."_

_ "I'm definitely surprised," I laughed. Before I could think about stopping myself, I leaned in and allowed my lips to just barely brush against his in a touch that hardly counted as a kiss before gathering the tinsel at his feet. "Then let's finish it,"_

_ "What about dinner?"_

_ I tore the Golden Dragon menu from the fridge and tossed it at him. "You order the food, I'll finish the tree."_

_ "Wait, I want to give you something," Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out a check._

_ "What's this for?" I tilted my head to the side. It was signed to me for three-hundred dollars._

_ "My first rent payment,"_

_ "Sasuke, you don't have to-"_

_ He put a hand up. "I told you I want to help out. This is how I want to do it,"_

_ I pursed my lips and reluctantly shoved the check in my wallet. "Fine. Order me sweet and sour chicken with rice and don't skimp on the soy sauce."_

I pulled out the check and stared at it as if it could tell me what to do with it. Rent was already paid for this month and it didn't feel right using Sasuke's money for myself. I racked my brain for anything Sasuke might've said he liked without avail. _Looks like whiskey will have to do for tonight._ I folded the thin slip of paper and placed it back in my wallet before heading for home.

"I'm back with goodies!" I called as I kicked the door closed behind me.

"I'll take that," Sasuke said, snatching the bagged bottle of whiskey from my hand. "Me and Mr. Jack Daniels are best friends."

I rolled my eyes and headed to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of wine. "So, what are the plans for tonight?"

"Dunno," Sasuke shrugged. "What do you normally do for New Year's Eve?"

"I normally just sit on the roof and watch the fireworks they set off in Times Square," I replied. As soon as the words left my lips, I realized how lame I sounded. _I'm twenty-one and all I do for New Year's is sit on my roof alone. Damn, I'm pathetic._

"Sounds good to me," he smirked, taking a swig from his bottle. "Party for two."

I returned the smile and led him up to my room and out the window onto the roof. The roof was at a fairly obtuse angle and made the perfect star gazing spot. We laid next to each other and gazed up at the night sky, the howl of the wind and the occasional _swish _of his bottle the only sounds.

"So," I began after a few minutes of silence. "tell me something no one else knows about you."

"I'm pretty sure we already covered that with the whole murder business," he chuckled, tucking his free hand behind his head.

"Besides that,"

"I've always wanted to be a musician," he said after a short pause. "I wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but my dad said it was a fool's dream."

"I can see it; you on stage with your guitar and thousands of groupies screaming your name," I closed my eyes and smiled as the vision formed behind my lids. Sasuke's badass look and attitude were perfect for the rock star scene. Girls would go crazy for a chance to lay eyes on him.

"Will you be one of them?"

"Sing me something," I replied almost immediately, completely ignoring his question. The scene in my head wasn't complete without his voice.

"What should I sing?"

"Something soft and slow," I suggested as the vision shifted. Sasuke was seated on a stool in low lighting with a sea of swaying bodies holding lighters in front of him, all of them hanging on his every word.

"Is it naïve to make plans that seem so far away? There's a reason I feel this way…"

I smiled as his voice filled my thoughts and brought the vision to life. The audience sang the words back to him as they flowed from his lips like warm honey. "Your voice is beautiful," I murmured almost inaudibly; I almost didn't think I'd said it out loud. It was quiet for a few moments. "Sasuke?"

Suddenly, I could feel another body braced over me and warm breath flowing over my face. I kept my eyes closed and took a shaky breath as they got closer, the anticipation of what was about to happen turning me inside out. Their lips brushed mine gently, their whiskey-laced breath entering my mouth and making my heart thud in my chest. Unable to resist anymore, I slid my arms around his shoulders and pulled his mouth to mine in an intense kiss as a violent shiver shook my body.

"Should we go inside?" Sasuke breathed against my lips.

"Looks like I'm the one taking advantage of you this time," I smirked, shuttering against him. I wasn't even remotely aware of the icy wind that bit at my skin, all the mattered in that moment was Sasuke. Desire pulsed through my veins like lightning - hot, white flashes that shook every cell to its core.

"I wouldn't mind," he murmured as he laid kisses down the side of my neck. "but I hold my liquor _much _better than you do."

_That _was all I needed to hear. I sealed our lips back together in the hungriest kiss I'd ever experienced, as if I would shrivel away to nothing if he pulled away again. Another lightning bolt racked my frame and I was almost sure he thought I was having a seizure.

"Should we go inside?" he repeated.

I smirked and nearly dragged him back through the window and onto my bed. "You're not going to stop me again?"

"Hell no,"

"Good, I don't plan on it."

A/N: Saddle Up Boys And Girls, This Is The Beginning Of The End. If You Wanna Listen To The Song Sasuke Sang To Sayuri, It's "Let Love Bleed Red" By Sleeping With Sirens. Thanks For Reading And Please Review!


	13. Chapter 13: The Calm Before the Storm

The One That Got Away, Chapter 13: The Calm Before the Storm

I pursed my lips as I gazed up at the wall of guitars, appraising the various colors and designs.

"Do you need help, Miss?" a boy asked from the counter. A flop of bleach blonde hair fell over his right eye while lightning blue streaks coursed through the strands. He wore a black shirt with some hardcore metal band's name across the front and countless bracelets on both wrists. He had an edgy air about him coupled with an apathetic attitude - it wasn't hard to see why Sasuke worked here.

"No, I'm fine," I lied; I had _no _idea what I was looking for. I sighed and put my index finger to my bottom lip, willing one of them to jump out at me and say, "pick me!".

"This is a really good beginner's guitar," the blonde boy said as he pulled an acoustic from the wall. "It's three-hundred and comes with a month of free lessons from now until August."

I took the guitar from him and looked it over. The wood grain design was polished and a golden-yellow near the neck that faded down to red near the fat part. I slid my fingertips over the strings and smiled at the melody it sang back to me. I pulled out the cash I'd gotten from Sasuke's check and handed it to him. "I'll take it,"

"Sasuke?" I called cautiously as I wrestled the guitar through the front door.

"Did you get sausage?" he asked from the living room.

My brows furrowed for a minute before realization dawned on me - I said I was getting pizza so I could go get the guitar. "Um, close your eyes,"

"What?"

"Just close them," I peered around the corner to make sure he wasn't looking.

He sighed audibly and squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay, now what?"

"Keep them closed," I giggled with excitement as I positioned myself in front of him with the guitar held out in front of me. "Happy birthday!"

He paused for a second without opening his eyes. "Can I open them now?"

"Yes!" I nearly squealed.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and his jaw instantly dropped. "Wh-what's this?"

"Your birthday present," I smiled brightly and thrust it into his hands. "Don't you like it?"

He gazed down at the spotless wood grain and slid his hand over the back of the neck so gingerly you'd think it was made of glass. His pupils took up most of his irises as they struggled to take it all in.

"It's … _perfect_," he finally said in a gasp. A giant smile spread across his face only to fall a second later. "Too bad I don't know how to play."

"That's what this is for," I pulled out a slip of paper and waved it in front of his face. "It came with free lessons for a month until August so now you can learn."

"You're amazing, you know that?" he laughed happily. Gently placing his newest prized possession on the couch, he leapt up and crushed my body to his in a near suffocating embrace. "Thank you," he whispered against my ear.

I shivered as his hot breath slithered down my neck, raising goose bumps in its wake. "I'm glad you like it."

He pulled away only to seal our lips together until we were gasping for breath. He leaned his forehead against mine as we caught our breath.

"So," I began. "now what?"

A devilish smirk played with the corners of his mouth. "I have an idea,"

I panted and brushed my hair from my sweat coated face as Sasuke rolled off of me, just as breathless as I was. I gathered the sheets and yanked them over my bare body as I rolled over so my head rested on his chest. He sighed and combed his fingers through my hair in silence.

"I love you," I mouthed against his skin, only loud enough for me to hear.

Spring slowly sprang through the frost of winter and soon melted away the last traces of snow that clung to New York. Fresh new grass sprouted through the thawed soil and vibrant green buds adorned the once barren trees. I opened nearly every window to allow the crisp spring breeze to circulate through the stale winter air that hung in the house.

"Do you have work today?" I wondered as I took my seat at the kitchen table.

Sasuke had once again prepared an entire breakfast buffet complete with waffles, bacon, sausage and coffee with two sugars and just a touch of cream; just the way I like it.

Sasuke nodded and stuffed a whole waffle in his mouth. "Ten to four,"

I nodded and ate breakfast quietly. Despite the mild April morning, an ominous air hung in the atmosphere like a black cloud in a sea of white. I glanced up at Sasuke from under my lashes as I sipped at my coffee. A bubble of anxiety swelled in the pit of my stomach for some unidentifiable reason; something just didn't feel right about today.

"You want to just call off today?" I proposed suddenly.

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "You seem off today."

I shrugged. "I don't know, I just think you should have a day off. We could stay home and watch movies or go out and do something."

"I wish I could, but we're having a huge blowout sale and they need everyone they can get," he slid his hand over mine and squeezed comfortingly. "Maybe tomorrow?"

I smiled and nodded. "Maybe tomorrow,"

I watched in silence as Sasuke finished off his breakfast and laid a soft kiss on my lips. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Bye," I replied, the bubble in my stomach churning like a raging tsunami until I felt like I was about to be physically sick. _Something definitely isn't right…_


	14. Chapter 14: When It Rains

**A/N: **Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! I Wish Everyone A Day Full Of Happiness And Love (If You Celebrate V-Day, That Is). Alright, Well This Chapter Took Me A While To Get Done Since I've Been Super Busy With Senior Project Shit And Whatnot And I Really Hope You All Enjoy It. Thanks To Everyone Who Reads/Reviews!

The One That Got Away, Chapter 14: When It Rains

**-Sasuke-**

"I'll see you guys later!" I waved over my shoulder as I left work an headed for home.

Rain fell down in sheets and thunder rumbled through the storm gray clouds overhead. It was quickly getting difficult to see my own two feet underneath me and the streets were unusually empty despite the lone cars and cabs that were still milling around the drenched city. I stared down at my feet in a feeble attempt to make out where I was going without avail. Rain soaked through my clothes and ran from my hair in streams that blurred my vision. Everything around me blurred into smears of color and the usual blare of car horns. I glanced through my lashes and noticed the white light flashing on the cross walk signal. _If I walk fast enough…_

I was half way across the slick street when the screech of tires caught my attention. I didn't walk fast enough.

**-Sayuri-**

I bit my lip and glanced anxiously as the clock for the thousandth time. Sasuke was always home before four-thirty and it was already heading for five o'clock. I could literally feel the anxiety mounting in my stomach and up into my throat like sour bile. _Where is he? _

My stomach growled hungrily, begging me to eat, but I ignored it and gnawed on my thumb nail instead. I looked up again. 4:52 PM. A roll of thunder shook me from my trance and I realized I hadn't even acknowledged the ringing of my phone.

"Hello?" I prayed it was Sasuke telling me he was stuck at work or waiting for the storm to stop, but my hopes were quickly dashed.

"Hello, do you know a Sasuke Uchiha?" an overly polite woman asked from the other end of the line.

"Um, yes," my brows knitted together in instant worry. "Has something happened?"

"Ma'am, Sasuke was in an accident. We found this number in his cell phone and we need you to come to Mercy Hospital-"

I dropped the phone and ran out the door without bothering to hear any more. By the time I reached Mercy Hospital, my clothes were glued to my body and I was shuttering so badly I could barely stand.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" the nurse at the front desk eyed me suspiciously.

I nodded numbly and staggered over to the desk. "I-I'm here to s-see S-Sasuke U-Uchiha,"

"He's on the ICU right now so you'll have to go to the fifth floor and ask the doctor at the front desk if he's allowing visitors," she said as she typed furiously on her keyboard.

_Intensive Care Unit, _Those three words echoed in my head like a bullhorn in an empty auditorium. "Thank you," I mumbled as I stumbled toward the elevators.

"Ma'am, do you need someone to walk you there? You don't look so good," she called after me.

I waved her off and leaned against the back wall of the elevator, punching the number five button and sinking to the floor. _Intensive Care Unit…_

I stared at the numbers above the doors as I ascended through the various floors until I finally reached the fifth. I forced my body to cooperate with me as I nearly collapsed onto the front desk of the ICU. "I'm here to see Sasuke Uchiha,"

"He's in rough shape," the doctor said, leading me down an extremely long and white hall. "You might want to prepare yourself."

I swallowed around the boulder in my throat and blinked back salty tears. "Is he going to be okay?"

"It could go either way at this point,"

I wiped my hand across my eyes and nodded in understanding.

"He's in there," he motioned to an open room. "I'll give you some privacy."

I took a deep breath and crossed the threshold into my worst nightmare. Sasuke laid motionless in the hospital bed with countless tubes and wires running from his body to a dozen different machines. A large white tube was stuck down his throat and taped to his mouth helping him breath while the heart monitor's perpetual _beeping _echoed throughout the space. I crossed the room and flopped down in a hard plastic chair, just staring at the battered and broken man in front of me. Ugly bruises graced most of his visible body, casts concealed his right arm and both his legs and a large gash tore his forehead open and was stitched neatly.

I bit my lip and reached out a shaky hand to brush his blue-black hair out of his eyes. My fingertips skimmed his forehead and traced the line of his nose. He felt unusually cold and clammy and a light sheen of what looked like sweat covered his face. My lips quivered as I rested my palm against his cheek.

"I should've made you stay home," I whispered, leaning my forehead against the edge of the bed. "Please, Sasuke, please come back to me. I'll do anything," my voice cracked and my shoulders heaved with uncontrollable sobs. _If there's a God, please bring him back to me…_

I stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, holding Sasuke's hand and listening to the constant _beeping _of his heart monitor. I knew I'd been there for a few days since the room darkened and lightened periodically and countless nurses tried to convince me to leave.

"I'm not leaving him," I told them every single time in the same monotone voice. "he needs me."

"Ma'am, at least let us check you out. You haven't eaten or slept in days," a caramel-skinned nurse pleaded in her heavy Spanish accent.

"Fine," I squeezed Sasuke's hand. "but you'll do it in here. I'm not leaving."

She nodded and bustled away to find a doctor.

"Have you been feeling sick lately?"

I shrugged. "Maybe a little,"

"For how long?"

Another shrug. "Maybe a week or so,"

The doctor nodded and pushed gingerly on my abdomen. "Any weight gain?"

"Um, not really," I pursed my lips in concentration. "I've been eating a lot of pasta so I guessed it was from all the carbs."

"Ma'am, I think we should move this to the other room,"

Alarm instantly rose in my stomach. "I'm not leaving-"

"_Ma'am_," he insisted firmly. "I need to perform an ultrasound. Can you please cooperate?"

I reluctantly complied and moved to the next room. I gazed at the ceiling from the bed while the doctor smeared blue gel on my stomach and pressed the ultrasound to my abdomen.

"Did you know you're expecting, Miss?"

I instantly froze. "_Excuse me?" _

"Looks like you're only about seven weeks," he smiled and pointed to the small circle on the screen. "but you need to eat immediately and get some rest. Understood?"

I stared at that little circle in sheer amazement. "Can I stay with Sasuke?" I asked numbly.

He nodded. "You can stay,"


	15. Chapter 15: It Pours

The One That Got Away, Chapter 15: It Pours

"I have your dinner, Mrs. Uchiha," the Spanish nurse smiled warmly, carrying a tray over to me.

"Thank you, Carmella," I regarded her briefly. I relished their assumption that I was Sasuke's wife and who was I to argue? I _was _carrying his child and no one else was here for him, what were they supposed to think?

"How is he today?" Carmella sat with me and placed her hand over mine.

I shrugged. "He still hasn't woken up,"

She nodded soberly. "Brain injuries are tricky,"

I sighed and speared an over-cooked green bean. It's been over a week since the accident and nothing has changed; Sasuke was still unresponsive and had so many injuries I need an extra set of hands to count them all. Doctors came regularly to check his vitals and shake his IV bags, turning to me with the same explanation every time. "He's not improving but he's not declining either. We'll come back in a little while to check again."

"How's the baby?" Carmella changed the subject quickly. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm okay," I replied through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Feeling better than I did yesterday."

She smiled in approval. "Good. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

I shrugged apathetically. "I don't know,"

"You seem tired," she observed the darkening circles under my eyes. "I'll leave you to rest."

I thanked her and polished off my dinner, feeling slightly less empty with a semi decent meal in me. I leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and stared down at my stomach. A little piece of Sasuke was growing inside the void I felt since the accident, attempting to make me whole again. A fleeting smile played with the corners of my mouth as I imagined what your child might look like; a trouble-making boy with raven hair pulling on a girl's pigtails and a red-headed girl twirling on stage at a ballet recital filled my mind. I gently laid my hand on my stomach and closed my eyes. _Your daddy with be just fine. He has to be…_

I hadn't noticed I'd drifted off until the panicked _beeping _of Sasuke's heart monitor woke me.

"He's coding!" a nurse yelled from the hall. "We need a crash cart in here!"

I shook the remnants of sleep from my body and ran to Sasuke's side. He was still motionless, but his heart rate was dropping rapidly. Doctors crowded the room and wheeled in a cart with a bunch of tools I didn't recognize; except a defibrillator.

"Mrs. Uchiha, we need you to move," a woman shoved me out of her way. "Someone get her out of here!"

"_No!_" I protested when they tried to lead me into the hall. "I'm not leaving him!"

As soon as those words left my lips, his heart monitor flat-lined. Tears blurred my vision and poured down my cheeks like waterfalls. For the first time in my life, I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed as hard as I could. _C'mon, fight damn it!_

"Clear!" the woman yelled as she put the defibrillator paddles to Sasuke's chest in an attempt to shock him back to life. After the fourth shock, his heart sputtered to a staggering rhythm before finally settling down to a normal pattern again.

I exhaled the breath I'd been holding and pushed my way through the doctors, dropping to my knees and burying my face in the bed sheets. "Thank you," I sobbed against the thin fabric, a puddle of tears growing under my cheek. Each doctor patted my shoulder as they left us to our privacy once again. I lifted my face from the bed and wiped the last of the tears from my bloodshot eyes.

"You need to wake up," I laid a kiss on Sasuke's forehead. "You're going to be a daddy so I need you to wake up. I can't do this alone."

Three days passed before his heart rate dropped again, plummeting to only forty-six beats per minute. The same scene unraveled before me: five doctors flooded the room with the crash cart wheeling in behind them. He flat-lined and had to be shocked by the defibrillator - only this time, he didn't come back.

"Time of death: 9:04 AM."

...

I stood in the rain with thirty other people who cared about Sasuke, most of them worked with him and some were just people he'd ran into on the street. Black umbrellas shielded us from the cool April rain that seemed to only fall in this particular cemetery on this particular day. I stared at the casket numbly, unable to fathom the fact that it contained the empty shell of the father of my unborn child who would never see his baby and forever belong to the earth. I held a crimson rose in my free hand as I approached the casket, my heart leaping into my throat.

"We love you," I whispered, placing the delicate flower on the closed lid of Sasuke's new home. I closed my eyes and put a hand to my stomach. _We'll never forget you. _

I remained at the burial site long after the service had ended with my eyes fixed on the slab of stone that marked his grave.

_Sasuke Uchiha_

_ Forever loved._

_ March 11, 1988-April 17, 2011_

"Damn," a man cursed, shaking me from my staring contest with the tombstone. "I missed the funeral, didn't I?"

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice devoid of all emotion. I didn't bother turning to look at the stranger - today was Sasuke's day.

"Itachi, Sasuke's brother," he replied. I could practically feel his eyes burning holes in my back. "Who are you?"

"Sayuri, Sasuke's…" I trailed off. We'd never officially given our relationship a title, so what was I? "girlfriend."

"He had a girlfriend?" Itachi sounded surprised. "Damn, I missed a lot."

"More than you know," I murmured, looking at Itachi for the first time. He was undoubtedly Sasuke's brother and shared the same raven hair and onyx irises. His face was a bit sharper than Sasuke's more rounded shape and a rather large scar extended from his eyebrow to his jaw. "Why are you here?"

"I was hoping to catch the funeral, but I guess I missed it."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?" his brows furrowed together in the same way Sasuke's did. A sharp pang of longing and pain shot through my heart like a hot knife. "I'm his brother, I have a right to be here."

I whirled around and shot him the darkest and most poisonous glare I could muster. "A right you gave up when you left him behind with your damaged mother and brutal father," I almost laughed at the shock on his face. "You thought it was a secret? Sasuke counted on you and you ran away like a coward, leaving him to fend for himself. I'm glad you weren't here for the funeral, you don't deserve to see him again."

The _pitter-patter _of rain was the only sound for an immeasurable amount of time. I flopped down on the moist ground, not caring about the muddy brown stains that marked my brand new dress pants and returning my attention to Sasuke's grave.

"I'm sorry," Itachi came up next to me and stared down at the stone. "I know I let you down and I'll never be able to make that up to you. I love you, Sasuke, I always did. Sleep well, little brother, you deserve that much."

And then I was alone once more.

**A/N: This Is The Last Official Chapter Of This Story And I Wanna Thank Everyone Who Read/Reviewed/Favorited/Alerted. There Will Be An Epilogue Posted Along With A Playlist For The Story That I Compiled Just To Make It More Visual And Movie-Like. Thanks Again!**


	16. Epilogue

The One That Got Away, Epilogue

**-3 Years Later-**

"Are you ready to go see daddy, Takara?"

Her blue-black hair swayed around her shoulders as she nodded furiously, a smile as bright as the sun plastered on her face.

I smiled down at her and pressed my lips to her forehead. "Did you pick out which flower you want to give him for his birthday?"

"Mhm," she hummed, grabbing a budding lily from a bouquet that sat among the hundreds of others at the florist's shop. "What flower are you going to give him, mommy?"

"Hmm," I pursed my lips and gazed at the various blooms. "I think I'll go with a tulip this year." I plucked a full yellow flower from the others. "Think he'll like them?"

"He loves when we pick him flowers,"

I nodded. "He does, doesn't he?"

She nodded back with a smile. "Can we go now?"

"I have to pay first,"

The florist smiled kindly and shook her head. "They're on the house."

…

I sighed as we entered the cemetery, memories flooding my mind instantly. It was an unusually sunny day, just like it had been every birthday since Takara was born, and song birds chirped cheerfully in the distance.

"There he is!" Takara cheered, pointing to a gray stone with a matching angel statue standing next to it.

I smiled. "There he is,"

I knelt in front of the grave and placed my yellow tulip on the fresh grass. Takara followed suit with her lily and proceeded to tell the stone everything we did during the past year as if it could hear her. I smiled at her innocence and ran my fingers through her hair. _I wish you could've met her. _

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Takara gazed up at me, her chocolaty irises matching mine almost exactly.

I lifted my hand to my now tear-stained cheek. "I just miss him, baby."

"He misses you, too," she smiled and ran her hand over the stone angel.

"You think so?"

"I know so,"

We sat there in silence, listening to the birds sing and the crisp March breeze whistle through the trees. Others milled through the cemetery, stopping at tombstones to leave gifts for their lost loved ones before swiftly leaving. Some cast sympathetic glances as they left, obviously feeling sorry for the little girl who was too young to understand, while others looked on curiously as we sat in our peaceful lull. Takara leaned her head back on my chest as a long yawn dragged itself from her throat. "Mommy, I'm tired,"

I kissed the top of her head. "Then sleep, we'll leave in a few minutes."

She nodded and closed her eyes, quickly being consumed by unconsciousness. I leaned my chin on her hair and allowed my eyes to drift shut. "I love you, Sasuke. I hope you can see her from up there." I murmured almost inaudibly. I listened for the tiniest sound, for some sort of sign that he could hear me, but I was only met with silence. I peeled my lids open, gathered Takara in my arms and stood to exit when a gust of wind blew past us in a rush. Among its ghostly howl, a barely audible voice lingered, waiting to be heard. _I love you, too._

Then, the wind died off and it was once again silent.

**The End**

**A/N: I Really Want To Thank Everyone For Reading/Reviewing/Favoriting/Alerting And I Hope You All Enjoyed This Story (Even Though It Wasn't All That Exciting). I Hope You All Continue To Read My Future Fics And I Look Forward To Hearing From You. Next Up Is The Playlist For TOTGA, And I Know Not All The Songs Match Perfectly, But I Thought They Went Well With That Part Of The Story. Thanks Again!**

The One That Got Away, Playlist

1. Sasuke's Theme

~ Framing Hanley - Built for Sin

2. Sayuri's Theme

~ I Couldn't Think Of One For Sayuri, So Whatever Song You Think Fits Her

3. Story Theme

~ Katy Perry - The One That Got Away

4. Chapter 1: Chance Encounter

~Katy Perry/Timbaland - If We Ever Meet Again

5. Chapter 4: Just Dance

~ DJ Thoka - Into a Fantasy

6. Sasuke's Feelings for Sayuri

~ One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

7. Sayuri's Feelings for Sasuke

~ Lady GaGa - Monster

8. Chapter 8: Justifiable Homicide

~ Lady Antebellum - A Kiss Goodnight (End Of Chapter)

9. Chapter 10: Risky Business

~ Asking Alexandria - Breathless (Concert)

10. Chapter 11: Chasing Cars

~ Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

11. Chapter 12: Party For Two

~ Sleeping With Sirens - Let Love Bleed Red

12. Sasuke's Funeral

~ Low Shoulder - Through The Trees


End file.
